Radio România Internațional

Tag: Social Democratic Party

September 22, 2018 UPDATE

POLITICS – A
reshuffling of the ministers members of the Social Democratic Party, the main
partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, will take place after the ‘family’
referendum of October 6-7. The Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea has
announced that the reshuffle will be decided at the next meeting of the
executive committee, and one of the skills that a minister must have is good
communication. One of the offices that is likely to see a new occupant is that
of Secretary General of the Government, currently held by Andreea Lambru. She could
be replaced by the former judge with the Constitutional Court Toni Grebla,
acquitted by the High Court of Cassation and Justice in a case of corruption
investigated by the National Anticorruption Directorate. We recall that on
Friday night, most leaders of the Social Democratic Party decided to keep
supporting Liviu Dragnea, at the end of a very long meeting of the executive
committee of the party. The meeting was held after a few top-level members signed an open
letter requesting the resignation of Liviu Dragnea as president of the party
and as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The authors of the letter claimed,
among other things, that Dragnea’s legal problems had turned into a major
weakness for the party, particularly considering the forthcoming European
Parliament and presidential elections due in 2019 and the local and legislative
elections scheduled for 2020.

INDICTMENT – The chief of the Romanian Gendarme
Forces, col. Ionuţ Cătălin Sindilie, his Senior Deputy Chief col. Gheorghe
Sebastian Cucoş, Major Laurenţiu Cazan, the chief of the Bucharest Gendarme
Directorate, and Chief Commissioner Mihai Dan Chirică, secretary of state with
the Interior Ministry, have been indicted in relation to the anti-Government
protest of August 10th in Bucharest. They are under investigation, among other
things, for complicity in abuse of
office and abusive behavior. We recall that, during the August 10th protests,
violent clashes took place between the participants and the gendarmes, and the
latter used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. As many as 770
people have filed criminal complaints. The interior minister Carmen Dan has
recently stated that the protest was approached as an event posing risks to
public order, and that the gendarme intervention was lawful.

MEDAL – Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, on
Friday awarded the ‘Nihil Sine Deo’ royal decoration to the US Ambassador to
Bucharest Hans Klemm. Just like the ‘King Michael I Loyalty’ Medal and the ‘Cross
of the Royal House of Romania’, ‘Nihil Sine Deo’ is granted by decision of the
chief of the Royal House. It was introduced in 2009 and it may be granted to
leading social, scientific, educational, cultural, spiritual, economic,
political and military personalities. The medal can also be awarded to Romanian
or foreign current and former ambassadors having made a noteworthy contribution
to Romania’s international relations.

BREXIT – Brexit negotiations
have reached a deadlock, the British PM Theresa May said after the summit in
Salzburg, where no progress was recorded. The Union is not willing to
compromise in any way, that was the conclusion of the summit, which had Theresa
May say that the EU does not treat Great Britain with respect. In a more
optimistic tone, the President of the European Council Donald Tusk has voiced
conviction that a compromise benefiting both parties is still possible and has
recommended that the British should reanalyze their proposals. One of the
thorniest issues is that of the type of border between Northern Ireland, which
is part of the UK, and Ireland, which is a member of the EU. Another source of
tension is economic relations, as the British would like to benefit from at
least part of the advantages provided by the single European market even after
Brexit. The European leaders have decided that Brexit negotiations are due to
end next month and, if real progress is made, a new summit of the heads of
state and government will be held in November, to render the understanding with
the UK official.

BUCHAREST – Events celebrating the City of
Bucharest continued on Saturday, marking
559 years since the Romanian capital was first mentioned in official records,
as well as 100 years since the Union of December 1, 1918, when the Romanian
provinces were united into a nation state. On Friday, the famous Romanian panpipe
player Gheorghe Zamfir gave a memorable show and on Saturday Bucharest hosted one
of the biggest 3D video-mapping shows in the world. The Days of the City of
Bucharest will end on Sunday with an extraordinary concert by the famous Rod
Stewart.

OLYMPIAD – Romanian pupils won
nine prizes at the 4th International French Language Olympiad in
Ohrid, Macedonia, held between the 15th and the 19th of
September. They won four first prizes (two in individual and two in team
events), three second prizes and two third prizes. The International French
Language Olympiad gathered pupils from 6 countries members of the International
Organization of La Francophonie: Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, the
Republic of Moldova and Romania. The competition is enlisted in the program of
the activities carried out by the Regional Office of La Francophonie for
Central and Eastern Europe.

22 September 2018
September 22, 2018

POLITICS – A reshuffling of the ministers members of the Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, will take place after the family referendum of October 6-7. The Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea has announced that the reshuffle will be decided at the next meeting of the executive committee, and one of the skills that a minister must have is good communication. One of the offices that is likely to see a new occupant is that of Secretary General of the Government, currently held by Andreea Lambru. She could be replaced by the former judge with the Constitutional Court Toni Grebla, acquitted in a case of corruption investigated by the National Anticorruption Directorate. We recall that on Friday night, most leaders of the Social Democratic Party decided to keep supporting Liviu Dragnea, at the end of a very long meeting of the executive committee of the party. The meeting was held after a few top-level members signed an open letter requesting the resignation of Liviu Dragnea as president of the party and as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The authors of the letter claimed, among other things, that Dragneas legal problems had turned into a major weakness for the party, particularly considering the forthcoming European Parliament and presidential elections due in 2019 and the local and legislative elections scheduled for 2020.

INDICTMENT – The chief of the Romanian Gendarme Forces, col. Ionuţ Cătălin Sindile, his Senior Deputy Chief col. Gheorghe Sebastian Cucoş, Major Laurenţiu Cazan, the chief of the Bucharest Gendarme Directorate, and Chief Commissioner Mihai Dan Chirică, secretary of state with the Interior Ministry, have been indicted in relation to the anti-Government protest of August 10th in Bucharest. They are under investigation, among other things, for complicity in abuse of office and abusive behavior. We recall that, during the August 10th protests, violent clashes took place between the participants and the gendarmes, and the latter used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. As many as 770 people have filed criminal complaints. The interior minister Carmen Dan has recently stated that the protest was approached as an event posing risks to public order, and that the gendarme intervention was lawful.

MEDAL – Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, on Friday awarded the Nihil Sine Deo royal decoration to the US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm. Just like the King Michael I Loyalty Medal and the Cross of the Royal House of Romania, Nihil Sine Deo is granted by decision of the chief of the Royal House. It was introduced in 2009 and it may be granted to leading social, scientific, educational, cultural, spiritual, economic, political and military personalities. The medal can also be awarded to Romanian or foreign current and former ambassadors having made a noteworthy contribution to Romanias international relations.

BREXIT – Brexit negotiations have reached a deadlock, the British PM Theresa May said after the summit in Salzburg, where no progress was recorded. The Union is not willing to compromise in any way, that was the conclusion of the summit, which had Theresa May say that the EU does not treat Great Britain with respect. In a more optimistic tone, the President of the European Council Donald Tusk has voiced conviction that a compromise benefiting both parties is still possible and has recommended that the British should reanalyze their proposals. One of the thorniest issues is that of the type of border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and Ireland, which is a member of the EU. Another source of tension is economic relations, as the British would like to benefit from at least part of the advantages provided by the single European market even after Brexit. The European leaders have decided that Brexit negotiations are due to end next month and, if real progress is made, a new summit of the heads of state and government will be held in November, to render the understanding with the UK official.

MEASLES – 85 new cases of measles have been confirmed in Romania this week, according to the National Center of Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. Most cases were reported in unvaccinated children. In all, the number of confirmed cases has exceeded 15,500, of which 59 have been fatal. Measles is an infectious disease that often causes complications. According to physicians, one in four measles patients needs hospitalization, and to one in 1000 people infected, the diseases is fatal.

BUCHAREST – Events on the Days of the City of Bucharest continue today, marking 559 years since the Romanian capital was first mentioned in official records, as well as 100 years since the Union of December 1, 1918, when the Romanian provinces were united into a nation state. This evening, the worlds best multimedia artists will display spectacular light and laser shows on the walls of the Parliament Palace during the iMapp Bucharest international contest, which has reached its 5th edition. The Days of the City of Bucharest will end on Sunday with an extraordinary concert by the famous Rod Stewart.

SEMINAR – The 17th international seminar Penser lEurope ends today in Bucharest, at the Romanian Academy. The participants in this years edition, titled Romania – Europe 1918-2018, organized by the Romanian Academy and the National Foundation for Science and Art in collaboration with the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences with the French Institute, tackled topics such as the fulfillment of the European nations ideals, hopes and worries triggered by WWI, the existence of several European cultural models, the indestructible relation between France and Romania, Europe today and its prospects. The first edition of the international seminar was held in 2002.

22 September 2018
September 16-22

The Three Seas Initiative Summit

The Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, a flexible political platform set up in 2015, brought to Bucharest, early this week, leaders of the 12 EU member states located between the Baltic Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. As a first this year, the meeting was also attended by the European Commission President, Jean Claude Juncker, and also as a first, a Business forum was held on the sidelines of the event. The summit was a success, yielding tangible results, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, said after the meeting:

“The most important result was probably the expression of the participants political support for a regional list of priority interconnection projects, in the fields of energy, transport and digital technology, a list that was drawn up based on the contributions of the countries that are part of the initiative, Romania included. The selection of these projects was done against criteria such as regional impact, economic feasibility and compatibility with the EU priorities and policies.”

The Three Seas Initiative supports the EUs common goal to bring closer together the East and the West of the continent, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, has said:

“It is a legitimate and highly relevant initiative. It contributes to regional development and it amplifies the cohesion process at EU level. It is an initiative that can provide prosperity as well as security for the member states. The European commission sees this summit as a unique opportunity to reiterate the importance, for the entire European Union, of a high level of connectivity in central and Eastern Europe, in terms of energy, transport and the digital.”A special guest at the summit in Bucharest was the US Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry, who said that Europe can count on the US as a trustworthy partner in the energy field, saying that energy security is tantamount to national security.

Meeting of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party

Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, was reconfirmed on Friday as president of the party, after winning a vote of confidence held during a special meeting of the leadership of the party. On the occasion, Dragnea announced that a new meeting of the partys leadership would be held in October, with a government reshuffle on the agenda. Fridays meeting was held after a few top-level members signed an open letter requesting the resignation of Liviu Dragnea as president of the party and as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The authors of the letter claimed, among other things, that Dragneas legal problems had turned into a major weakness for the party, particularly considering the forthcoming European Parliament and presidential elections due in 2019 and local and legislative elections scheduled for 2020. The signatories also requested that PM Viorica Dǎncilă, the executive president of the Social Democratic Party, should act as interim president until the next special congress of the party.

The “family” referendum

The Romanian left-of-centre Government on Tuesday passed the technical details related to the organisation, on October 6 and 7, of a referendum on redefining “family”. A day before, the Constitutional Court had decided that the law for the revision of the Constitution which stipulates that the family is based on the freely consented union between a man and a woman, and not between spouses as it is stipulated at present, observes constitutional provisions. The law for the revision of the Constitution in the sense of redefining the concept of family is based on a citizens initiative of some Christian organizations that managed to obtain 3 million signatures. The initiative is being contested by the associations defending the civil rights and liberties, including those of sexual minorities. PM Viorica Dancila has asked the institutions involved in the organisation of the referendum to act responsibly and begin preparations for the smooth-running of the event. Leaders of the Romanian Orthodox Church have called on people to say YES in the referendum. On the other hand, representatives of “RESPECT. The platform for Rights and Freedoms”, made up of 110 organisations, call on people to boycott the referendum, which they see as dangerous and likely to divide society.

High level meeting in Salzburg

European Council president, Donald Tusk, has announced, at the end of the informal meeting of the European leaders, held in Salzburg, Austria, that the EU wants to finalize the Brexit negotiations by October, followed by a summit in November that would render the agreement with London formal. The summit, where Romania was represented by President Klaus Iohannis, focused on migration and internal security. The Austrian Presidency of the EU Council has presented the implementation stage of two projects presented in summer, namely, the platforms of disembarking migrants from outside the EU and the centres controlled from inside the European Union. Romanias priority is as close as possible a relationship between the EU and the UK after Brexit, in terms of security and foreign policy. Bucharest wants a unitary and coherent voice of the EU in the process of negotiation with Britain, in order to forge a fair withdrawal accord for both parties. In terms of internal security, President Iohannis said Romania wants to strengthen European borders, both by means of regulations and by increasing FRONTEX personnel.

22 September 2018
September 16-22

The Three Seas Initiative Summit

The Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, a flexible political platform set up in 2015, brought to Bucharest, early this week, leaders of the 12 EU member states located between the Baltic Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. As a first this year, the meeting was also attended by the European Commission President, Jean Claude Juncker, and also as a first, a Business forum was held on the sidelines of the event. The summit was a success, yielding tangible results, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, said after the meeting:

“The most important result was probably the expression of the participants political support for a regional list of priority interconnection projects, in the fields of energy, transport and digital technology, a list that was drawn up based on the contributions of the countries that are part of the initiative, Romania included. The selection of these projects was done against criteria such as regional impact, economic feasibility and compatibility with the EU priorities and policies.”

The Three Seas Initiative supports the EUs common goal to bring closer together the East and the West of the continent, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, has said:

“It is a legitimate and highly relevant initiative. It contributes to regional development and it amplifies the cohesion process at EU level. It is an initiative that can provide prosperity as well as security for the member states. The European commission sees this summit as a unique opportunity to reiterate the importance, for the entire European Union, of a high level of connectivity in central and Eastern Europe, in terms of energy, transport and the digital.”A special guest at the summit in Bucharest was the US Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry, who said that Europe can count on the US as a trustworthy partner in the energy field, saying that energy security is tantamount to national security.

Meeting of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party

Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, was reconfirmed on Friday as president of the party, after winning a vote of confidence held during a special meeting of the leadership of the party. On the occasion, Dragnea announced that a new meeting of the partys leadership would be held in October, with a government reshuffle on the agenda. Fridays meeting was held after a few top-level members signed an open letter requesting the resignation of Liviu Dragnea as president of the party and as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The authors of the letter claimed, among other things, that Dragneas legal problems had turned into a major weakness for the party, particularly considering the forthcoming European Parliament and presidential elections due in 2019 and local and legislative elections scheduled for 2020. The signatories also requested that PM Viorica Dǎncilă, the executive president of the Social Democratic Party, should act as interim president until the next special congress of the party.

The “family” referendum

The Romanian left-of-centre Government on Tuesday passed the technical details related to the organisation, on October 6 and 7, of a referendum on redefining “family”. A day before, the Constitutional Court had decided that the law for the revision of the Constitution which stipulates that the family is based on the freely consented union between a man and a woman, and not between spouses as it is stipulated at present, observes constitutional provisions. The law for the revision of the Constitution in the sense of redefining the concept of family is based on a citizens initiative of some Christian organizations that managed to obtain 3 million signatures. The initiative is being contested by the associations defending the civil rights and liberties, including those of sexual minorities. PM Viorica Dancila has asked the institutions involved in the organisation of the referendum to act responsibly and begin preparations for the smooth-running of the event. Leaders of the Romanian Orthodox Church have called on people to say YES in the referendum. On the other hand, representatives of “RESPECT. The platform for Rights and Freedoms”, made up of 110 organisations, call on people to boycott the referendum, which they see as dangerous and likely to divide society.

High level meeting in Salzburg

European Council president, Donald Tusk, has announced, at the end of the informal meeting of the European leaders, held in Salzburg, Austria, that the EU wants to finalize the Brexit negotiations by October, followed by a summit in November that would render the agreement with London formal. The summit, where Romania was represented by President Klaus Iohannis, focused on migration and internal security. The Austrian Presidency of the EU Council has presented the implementation stage of two projects presented in summer, namely, the platforms of disembarking migrants from outside the EU and the centres controlled from inside the European Union. Romanias priority is as close as possible a relationship between the EU and the UK after Brexit, in terms of security and foreign policy. Bucharest wants a unitary and coherent voice of the EU in the process of negotiation with Britain, in order to forge a fair withdrawal accord for both parties. In terms of internal security, President Iohannis said Romania wants to strengthen European borders, both by means of regulations and by increasing FRONTEX personnel.

22 September 2018
September 21, 2018 UPDATE

POLITICS – Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, was confirmed on Friday as president of the party, after winning a vote of confidence held during a special meeting of the leadership. On the occasion, Dragnea announced that a new meeting of the partys leadership will be held in October, when a potential reshuffle might be on the agenda. Fridays meeting was held after a few top-level members signed an open letter requesting the resignation of Liviu Dragnea as president of the party and as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The authors of the letter claimed, among other things, that Dragneas legal problems had turned into a major weakness for the party, particularly considering the forthcoming European Parliament and presidential elections due in 2019 and local and legislative elections scheduled for 2020. The signatories also requested that PM Viorica Dǎncilă, the executive president of the Social Democratic Party, should act as interim president until the next special congress of the party.

INDICTMENT – The chief of the Romanian Gendarme Forces, col. Ionuţ Cătălin Sindile, and senior deputy chief col. Gheorghe Sebastian Cucoş, were indicted on Friday in relation to the anti-governmental protest of August 10th in Bucharest. They are investigated for complicity to abuse of office. Major Laurenţiu Cazan, the chief of the Bucharest Gendarme Directorate, and chief commissioner Mihai Dan Chirică, secretary of state with the Interior Ministry are also indicted in this case. Also on Friday, the main opposition parties called for the resignation of the four and also of the interior minister Carmen Dan. We recall that during the August 10th protests violent clashes took place between the participants and the gendarmes, and the latter used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Military prosecutors started a criminal investigation into the gendarme intervention. As many as 770 people filed criminal complaints. The interior minister Carmen Dan has recently stated that the protest was approached as an event posing risks to public order, and that the gendarme intervention was lawful.

INITIATIVE – the Save Romania Union opposition party filed in Parliament on Friday some 450,000 signatures in support for the initiative titled “No convicts in public offices”, so the total number of such signatures now stands at 780,000. According to a communiqué issued by the party, the initiative has complied with the two requirements imposed by the law: more than 500,000 valid signatures and at least 20,000 signatures in 21 counties. According to this initiative, art 37 of the Constitution would include an addition, reading that individuals with final sentences cannot hold offices in the local governments, in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate or the office of president of the country, until the consequences of the respective sentence are removed.

PENSIONS – The Government of Romania has discussed a new pension bill with representatives of trade unions and employer associations. This was the first 3-party meeting on the topic, organised in line with a special calendar agreed on for the endorsement of this law. PM Viorica Dăncilă says the new pension law will first and foremost address inequities in the public system. While the deputy president of the Romanian Employers Association Dan Matei Aghaton announced the organisation supports the new bill, the trade union leader Bogdan Hossu pointed out that some aspects, such as special working conditions, unfair employee penalties, and minimum wage increases, will have to be regulated by means of further pieces of legislation.

ADOPTIONS – The Government of Romania has earmarked additional funds for child protection and has taken measures to encourage adoption. The goal is to step up the procedure for and extend the period in which a child is regarded as adoptable, and to reduce red tape in the field. New financial incentives have also been introduced. The adoption process in Romania is rather complex, and the country ranks among the last in Europe with only 800 adoptions per year, although the number of abandoned children is around 55,000.

MEDAL – Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, on Friday awarded the “Nihil Sine Deo” royal decoration to the US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm. Just like the King Michael I Loyalty Medal and the Cross of the Royal House of Romania, Nihil Sine Deo is granted by decision of the chief of the Royal House. It was introduced in 2009 and it may be granted to leading social, scientific, educational, cultural, spiritual, economic, political and military personalities. The medal can also be awarded to Romanian or foreign current and former ambassadors having made a noteworthy contribution to Romanias international relations.

MEASLES – 85 new cases of measles have been confirmed in Romania this week, according to the National Center of Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. Most cases were reported in unvaccinated children. In all, the number of confirmed cases has exceeded 15,500, of which 59 have been fatal. Measles is an infectious disease that often causes complications.

BUCHAREST – This weekend, the Days of the City of Bucharest will be marking 559 years since the Romanian capital was first mentioned in official records, as well as 100 years since the Union of December 1, 1918, when Romanian provinces were united into a nation state. Major international musicians were invited to perform in the city, including pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir on Friday and pop-rock star Rod Stewart on Sunday. On Saturday, the worlds best multimedia artists will display spectacular light and laser shows on the walls of the Parliament Palace. A symphonic concert and multimedia show opened the Bucharest Days series on Thursday night, when the fountains in the Union Square were reopened, after extensive revamping works. Built in the late 80s under the communist regime, the fountain system downtown Bucharest is one of the longest in the world, 1.4 km, with 16,200 m² water surface area.

21 September 2018
September 20, 2018 UPDATE

EU COUNCIL MEETING – President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday attended the informal meeting of the European Council held in the Austrian city of Salzburg. The President argued in favour of closer post-Brexit cooperation with London authorities in terms of foreign security and policy. Bucharest also wants the European Union to maintain a unitary and coherent voice in the negotiations with the UK in order to arrive at a Brexit agreement that is fair to all sides. Romania’s priority is protecting the rights and interests of its citizens who live in the UK and a close as possible a relationship between the EU and the UK after Brexit, the Romanian president also said. In terms of internal security, President Iohannis said Romania wants to strengthen European borders, both by means of regulations and by increasing FRONTEX personnel.

MEETING — The leaders of the main ruling party in Romania, the Social-Democratic Party, will convene on Friday after an open letter signed by leading members of the party call on Liviu Dragnea to step down, both as party leader and as Chamber of Deputies Speaker. Cosigners claim Liviu Dragnea’s run-ins with the law have weakened the party’s position, particularly ahead of the European Parliament election of 2019 and the legislative election of 2020. They also want Prime Minister Viorica Dancila to be interim party president pending the organization of the next congress.

REPATRIATION — Romanian Minister of Defence Mihai Fifor and US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm on Thursday attended a special ceremony in Campulung Muscel, southern Romania, hosted to welcome back the 30th Carpathian Eagles battalion. The mission of the Romanian military was to secure an important area around the military air base in Kandahar, in Afghanistan. They also provided training to the Afghan army. The battalion is mostly made up of military from the Dragoslavele 30th Mountain Troops Battalion who have also taken part in missions in theatres of operation in Kosovo, in 2005 and Afghanistan, in 2008. In April, the Mountain Troops from Campulung was the target of a car bomb attack. Eight military were initially believed to be injured, but in the end only one needed more thorough medical investigations at a hospital in Germany.

EBRD — The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Suma Chakrabarti, has called on Bucharest authorities to step up reforms aimed at facilitating the development of infrastructure. Chakrabarti claims the EBRD is interested in funding investment projects in road and rail infrastructure and help privatize state enterprises. The statement follows after the EBRD president earlier this week attended the Three Seas Initiative summit in Bucharest. So far the EBRD has invested over 8 billion euros in Romania.

RULING — The Constitutional Court of Romania has postponed for October 16 the debate on the notifications filed by president Klaus Iohannis and opposition parties regarding the administrative code. The president claims the draft law was passed by the Chamber of Deputies in an unconstitutional extraordinary session. Several articles are vague and the code eliminates an integrity criterion for appointing members of Government. In turn, the notification filed by the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union claims special pensions for local officials stipulated under the administrative code are in breach of the principle according to which all citizens are equal before the law.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Irina Begu on Thursday advanced to the quarterfinals of the Seoul tournament totaling 250 thousand dollars in prize money. Begu brushed aside Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in straight sets. This is Begu’s first win against the Polish player. On Friday, Begu will take on Maria Sakkari of Greece.

(Translated by C. Mateescu & V. Palcu)

20 September 2018
Discord in the main ruling party in Romania

Hardly 6 months have passed since the Social Democrats, gathered in Bucharest, answered an enthusiastic YES and erupted in applause when the supreme leader Liviu Dragnea asked them if they still wanted him to be their president. Things have dramatically changed ever since, though. Three of the vice-presidents of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), namely Deputy Prime Minister Paul Stanescu, the mayor of Bucharest Gabriela Firea and the vice-president of the Senate Adrian Tutuianu have signed a joint declaration in which they ask for Liviu Dragneas resignation from the position of president of the Social Democratic Party and that of Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

Liviu Dragnea, who was once praised for the success scored in the 2016 elections, when the Social Democrats almost got the majority in the legislative elections and got the mayoral seats in Bucharests all 6 sectors for the first time, is now considered the partys and the ruling coalitions main vulnerability. A legal vulnerability, on the one hand, due to the corruption cases in which he is involved. Dragneas opponents believe that his legal problems hit at the very legitimacy of the ruling coalitions and of PSDs efforts to reform the judiciary, given that their efforts are perceived as a move meant to help Liviu Drganea and his cronies.

On the other hand, the PSD leaders also blame Dragnea for ruling the party in a discretionary way, for the domestic conflicts undermining the party, which led to the ousting of two prime ministers, of whom one was dismissed through a motion of censure, and for the permanent conflict with the opposition, the President Klaus Iohannis, the Intelligence Services, the General Prosecutors Office and the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. All these things have deepened the voters distrust in the PSD, which dropped in opinion surveys despite the countrys economic advance. Adrian Tutuianu says the declaration enjoys the support of a large part of the PSD organizations.

Adrian Tutuianu: “It is a letter that draws a warning signal. We have made a public appeal to all Social Democratic MPs, to all PSD branches leaders, to PSD presidents of county councils, mayors, local and county councilors to join us in this initiative that is not based on any hidden interests. It only promotes the national and the PSD interests. Talking about the leader position now is meaningless. Well make a decision on Friday at the National Executive Committee meeting and youll find out all the details then.”

Liviu Dragneas first reaction was full of sarcasm and he promised to fight to the death for the party: “I will read through that letter. I have leafed through it and I understand that their main problem is our conflict with President Iohannis. They actually want to join hands with Iohannis, with the Intelligence Services, with the Protection and Guard Service, with the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the opposition. I, as a party leader, cannot and will not lead this party into becoming an instrument of these institutions which should not get involved in politics. As for the PSDs National Executive Committee meeting I will have an articulate, long and emphasized discourse.”

The right-wing parties see the fighting at the top of the PSD as a settling of accounts. But they should reproach themselves the fact that the real opposition to PSD comes from within the very PSD.

(translated by Lacramioara Simion)

20 September 2018
Reactions after violent clashes in Bucharest

For three consecutive days, protesters in Bucharest and other big
cities in Romania criticized what they see as corruption and incompetence on the
part of the leftist governments that have run the country since the 2016
elections, as well as the controversial changes operated on the justice laws
and the Criminal Code. The participants in the rallies demanded the resignation
of the Cabinet headed by Viorica Dancila and early elections.

On Saturday and Sunday, there were no notable incidents during the
protests. On Friday however, the massive rally organised in Bucharest by
Romanian expats and joined by many locals, ended dramatically, in a manner likened
to the miners’ riots that marred the early years of Romania’s post-communist
history. Incited by hooligans that had nothing to do with the protest of
diaspora members, riot police resorted to tough actions to disperse the crowds,
including tear gas and water cannons. As a result, nearly 500 people received
medical treatment, and 70 were hospitalised, including 11 gendarmes.

It was a legitimate, defensive intervention, Gendarme Service
officials have stated, backed by the Interior Minister Carmen Dan, according to
whom the strong measures were justified by the provocations coming from
hooligans. She also added that the response of President Klaus Iohannis, who
spoke of police brutality, was premature, and that the Prosecutor General’s
Office is the authority in charge with clarifying the events and with
identifying the individuals and entities that caused the violence.

The President called on the Interior Minister to take responsibility
for how the situation was handled during the protests, and to come up with a
detailed report on how and on whose orders the gendarmes acted. The head of
state firmly condemned violence, regardless of where it comes from, and
requested that those responsible should be punished. Klaus Iohannis believes
riot police should take a defensive, rather than offensive attitude, should
protect public institutions, constitutional order and, above all, the citizens
of the country.

The most controversial politician in today’s Romania, the Speaker of
the Chamber of Deputies and president of the Social Democratic Party Liviu
Dragnea, promised Romanians that he would not allow anybody to dissolve democracy,
to suspend individual rights and freedoms, to change the outcome of democratic
elections and to topple the regime through violence. He labelled President
Iohannis’ criticism regarding the riot police as irresponsible and an act of
undermining the authority of the state.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, herself a target of the protesters’ sarcasm,
condemned the violence, which she said was caused by well organised groups. The
Social Democratic Party urged public authorities to establish to what extent
the clashes were prompted by some opposition parties and politicians.

On the other side, the head of the National Liberal Party Ludovic
Orban spoke of a premeditated action, whereas Save Romania Union, also in
opposition, says the gendarmes used force abusively against citizens and
harassed the protesters, instead of extracting the troublemakers from the
crowd. Camera footage, photos taken by journalists and protesters, as well as
testimonies from participants, indicate that the response of riot police was
out of proportion. More than 30 people applied for forensic medical reports and
filed complaints against gendarmes for abusive conduct and false arrest.

13 August 2018
A New Pension Bill in Romania

In terms of purchasing power, the average salary in Romania accounts for approximately two thirds of the European average, but the average pension is way smaller, namely one third of the average in Europe. According to Adrian Mitroi, a professor with the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, quoted by Agerpres news agency, a modern society must ensure a proper standard of living also for those who are retired. Despite lots of counterarguments, in a normal economy, the specialist says, pensions must increase, just like salaries.

Against this background, the left-wing Government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats has drafted a new pension law for the public sector, which, if adopted, would come into force in stages, until 2021. Published on the Labour Ministrys website, the new pension bill stipulates higher pensions. But, most importantly, the new law is aimed at eliminating inequities that exist in the system. There are many citizens who have contributed equally to the pension fund, but they receive different amounts of money. Also, there are big gaps between men and women.

That is why, under the new law, pensions will be paid only depending on each individuals contribution, and those who have the same seniority, but retired at different moments in time, will get the same amount. The value of the pension point would grow by 70% until 2021, from approximately 234 Euro as it is today. The bill also includes provisions for those who have contributed a minimum of 15 years; they will be able to chose between the minimum guaranteed pension, calculated in keeping with their contribution, and a social benefit.

The women who have worked 15 years and have given birth to three children, whom they have raised until the age of 16, are entitled to a reduction in the retirement age of 6 years. Also, mothers with more than three children will benefit for another one year reduction for each child. Another important provision is that concerning citizens who have masters and PhD degrees, as this will too add money to their pensions.

The Government has stated that no pension will drop, even if, after recalculation, the amount would be smaller. Debates in Parliament are due to start next month, for the law to come into force on January 1st 2019, which would mean that some 5 million pensioners would receive higher pensions. Until then, the bill will be under public debate for 30 days, and suggestions can be submitted to the Labour Ministry by August 18th.

However, trust in the pension system alone, no matter how generous and fair that may be, is not enough. Specialists believe that any active person should take time and think in advance of what they can do in order to ensure a higher purchasing power for themselves and to protect their assets and incomes, so that they can benefit from a decent standard of living even whey they retire. So, a public pension should ideally be complemented by other financial alternatives.

10 August 2018
July 8, 2018

MEETING — Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Tuesday is to meet EU officials, including the European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and vice-president Frans Timmermans, the European Commission reports. On Friday, Justice Minister Tudorel Toader announced he would meet EU Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova in Austria. The European Commission previously announced it was closely monitoring the developments in Romania regarding the justice system and would not hesitate to take action to ensure the modifications brought to the Criminal Code observe the legislation in the field. Backed by the ruling coalition, the modifications sparked criticism from President Iohannis, the right-wing opposition and civil society, who claim that the new provisions favor criminality and are aimed at benefiting certain people, including Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea.

IMPEACHMENT — The left-wing opposition in Romania made up of the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats on Monday will decide whether they will move to impeach President Klaus Iohannis. Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea, who is also the Chamber of Deputies speaker, accused the president of violating the Constitution, excessively delaying a decision to dismiss the head of the National Anticorruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi. On May 30, the Constitutional Court ruled the president must sack Kovesi, noticing a constitutional conflict between the head of state and the Government. Justice Minister Tudorel Toader had previously notified the Court after the President dismissed his request to remove Kovesi from office as ungrounded. The Court’s ruling has sparked fierce reactions from the opposition and magistrates, as well as anti-government protests.

COMMEMORATION — The Romanian Defense Ministry on Monday is hosting events in the country and in theatres of operations abroad to commemorate Lieutenant-Commander Florin Rotaru, who on Saturday lost his life after crashing his MIG-21 Lancer into a field in Fetesti, southern Romania. Rotaru was taking part in an air show. Aged 36, the pilot was head of a fighter squadron. Military prosecutors have already launched an investigation. By order of Defense Minister Mihai Fifor, a technical expertise committee has been set up to investigate the circumstances of the air tragedy. Pending the inquiry, all training flights operated by this type of aircraft have been suspended.

EXTREME WEATHER — The National Weather Administration has issued a code orange alert against heavy rain for 18 counties in the south and southwest, in place until Tuesday evening, as well as a code yellow alert for the entire country, including the capital-city Bucharest. During the interval large quantities of rainfall are expected in local areas. Hydrologists have also issued a code yellow warning against floods, in place until Monday, for the rivers in 13 counties. Temperatures are also expected to drop sharply during the interval. The National Emergency Intervention Inspectorate has announced over 20,000 firefighters with over 7,000 technical equipment are ready to intervene in calamity-stricken areas. The heavy rainfall last week caused devastating floods killing five people, destroying hundreds of homes and flooding numerous national or county roads, also affecting large areas of farmland.

2018 WORLD CUP — France will play Belgium on Tuesday in St. Petersburg while England will take on Croatia on Wednesday in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. On Saturday, England grabbed a 2-nil win over Sweden in the quarterfinals, while the host country Russia was ousted by Croatia at the penalty shootout.

OLYMPIAD — Some 1,500 high school students from over a hundred countries on five continents are taking part in the International Mathematics Olympiad in Cluj-Napoca. The event lasts a week and is the oldest and most prestigious event of its kind. The first edition was held in 1959 in Romania. Romania and Bulgaria are the only countries that have taken part in every edition of the Olympiad. Attending the opening ceremony was President Klaus Iohannis, who expressed hope Romania would become an attraction for research in the field of mathematics.

NEVERSEA — The Neversea music festival continues in Constanta, with an expected turnover of 200,000 guests. It is one of the biggest beach festivals in Europe, bringing together top-notch artists, including Armin Van Buureen, Scooter, Steve Angello, Nina Kraviz, The Script and John Newman. Local authorities say some 2,000 gendarmes and firefighters have been mobilized throughout the festival

WIMBLEDON — The tennis pair made up of Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu and Marcin Matkowski of Poland qualified to the round of 16 of the mixed doubles at Wimbledon, after defeating Divij Sharan of India and Alicja Rosolska of Poland, 6-3, 7-5. The two will next play Henri Kontinen of Finland and Heather Watson of Great Britain. Buzarnescu has also advanced to the women’s doubles’ round of 16, alongside another Romanian, Irina Begu. She was unfortunately knocked out from the singles’ main draw, the same as world number 1 Simona Halep.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

8 July 2018
No confidence motion in the Bucharest Parliament

Installed in January, harshly criticized by the media and the
right-of-center opposition and constantly contested in the street by the civil
society, the Government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance
of Liberals and Democrats and headed by the Social Democrat
Viorica Dancila, Wednesday took its first major test in Parliament. The
no-confidence motion needed 233 votes in order to pass, but it failed with a
vote of 166 to 4, while the Power MPs did not vote at all.

Under the title Toppling
the Dragnea-Dancila Cabinet, a national emergency!, the no-confidence motion signed by 152 deputies and senators with the National Liberal
Party, the Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party accused the
Cabinet for the country’s worsening economic situation. The increase in the
ROBOR index, based on which interest rates are calculated, the rapid rise in
the inflation rate, the depreciation of the domestic currency against the euro,
the chaos created by the changes to the Fiscal Code and the lack of investment
in infrastructure were the main reasons put forward by the opposition. The
rightist parties also argued that PM Viorica Dancila is only a marionette of
the facto leader, Liviu Dragnea. The latter, they claimed, is trying to
subordinate the judiciary and the state institutions.

The Power has seen arithmetic work in its favour. The National Liberal
Party, the Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party, in Opposition,
have together only 154 votes as compared to the ruling coalition’s 249. The
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, numbering 30 MPs, is not part
of the Government, but has in place a collaboration protocol with the ruling
coalition. Parliament also has 17 MPs of the national minorities, who
traditionally vote in favor of the Power, and also 15 non-affiliated MPs, most
of whom are against Dragnea.

All these figures made Dragnea voice confidence,
last week, that the motion would not pass. Pundits said he was right and
emphasised, not without irony, that Dragnea is in fact the only one able to
topple a Social Democratic government. That was the case a year ago, when,
having become undesirable for Liviu Dragnea, the then Social Democrat PM Sorin
Grindeanu was dismissed through no-confidence vote, initiated and endorsed by
the very party that put him in office, a premiere in almost three decades of
Romanian post-communist democracy.

Moreover, early this year, Grindeanu’s
successor, Mihai Tudose, was convinced during a party meeting that took only
several hours, to tender his resignation as PM. The media predicted that the Dancila
Cabinet would survive the no-confidence motion.

Nevertheless, journalists say,
that won’t change the lack of credibility and the negative image of the ruling
coalition controlled by Dragnea, particularly after last week the High Court of
Cassation and Justice handed him a 42-month prison sentence for corruption. The
sentence can be appealed. Let’s not forget that in 2016 Dragnea received a
2-year suspended prison sentence for attempting to rig the elections.

(Translated by E. Enache)

27 June 2018
June 23, 2018 UPDATE

PRESIDENCY – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has announced he will run for another term as president of the country. Iohannis, aged 59, will complete his first term, which he won in November 2014, when he ran on the part of the Christian Liberal Alliance. Since 2000 until 2014 he was the mayor of the city of Sibiu, in the centre. The next presidential elections in Romania are due in the fall of 2019, and according to the Constitution, the maxim number of presidential terms a person may hold is two. The leader of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban has hailed the presidents decision and has announced that the Liberals will support the candidacy of Klaus Iohannis for a second term.

SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY – The Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, will keep supporting its president Liviu Dragnea, in all the offices he is holding, both as leader of the party and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, after he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for instigation to abuse of power. Liviu Dragnea has stated he will fulfill the objectives he has set, including the implementation of the governing program. The opposition has criticized the decision of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party. The president of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban has stated that the Liberals will try to convince as many MPs of the majority to endorse the no-confidence motion. On Monday, the motion filed by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party will be read in plenary parliamentary session and on Wednesday it will be debated and voted.

VENICE COMMISSION – Representatives of the Romanian Presidential Administration, Parliament and Justice Ministry have attended in Venice the plenary session of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, also known as the Venice Commission. One of the main topics on the meetings agenda was the modifications brought to the justice laws in Romania. The Presidential Adviser Bogdan Dima has stated that the legislative package has lots of deficiencies and the content can and should be substantially improved. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidency, President Klaus Iohannis believes that the adoption of an interim opinion of the Venice Commission is extremely important for the entire justice system in Romania. The Chairman of the Parliamentary committee in charge with the justice laws, Florin Iordache, attended the proceedings as well, and has stated that the recommendations made by the Venice Commission are extremely important to Romania. He has also stated that the three justice laws are in line with the standards set by the Commission. The modifications brought to the justice laws by the coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have been criticized by the right-wing opposition, magistrates associations and many civil society representatives.

TRANSDIESTR – The UN General Assembly has adopted the draft resolution proposed by Chisinau, alongside other 10 countries, including Romania, which calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition from the Transdniester region of the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbor with a predominantly Romanian – speaking population. The project was approved with 64 votes for, 15 against and 83 abstentions. The Russian Federation delegation voted against and have stated that the document will undermine negotiations on the Transdniester issue. The Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip has hailed the document, just like the Romanian Foreign Ministry. There are some 1000 Russian soldiers from the former 14th Soviet Army deployed in Transdniester, who are guarding armament and ammunition warehouses, as well as 500 soldiers from the peace forces deployed in the security zone along Dniester. There are also troops subordinated to the separatist regime in Tiraspol, accounting for some 15,000 soldiers. Transdniester went out of Chisinaus authority in 1992, after an armed conflict.

ROMANIAN BLOUSE – The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is celebrated on June 24th. Ia, the Romanian traditional blouse, is an emblematic piece of the national traditional costume and also a symbol of Romanian culture. On January 21st, 2013, the online community “La Blouse Roumaine” proposed the midsummer day, when magical fairies, believed to bring fertility and prosperity are celebrated, to also celebrate the Romanian traditional blouse. In the meantime the event has become global, and it is now celebrated in more than 50 countries. Traditional exhibitions and fairs are open all across the country, but also abroad in Beijing, Berlin, Budapest, Chisinau, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Warsaw, Vienna and Washington.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu, number 29 in the WTA rankings, lost on Saturday the match against the Czech Petra Kvitova (no. 8 WTA), thus failing to qualify for the final of the Birmingham tournament, with 850,000 dollars in prize money. In the final, Kvitova will play against the Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova (no. 19 WTA), who defeated in the semifinals the Czech Barbora Strikova.

23 June 2018
June 23, 2018

PRESIDENTIAL TERM – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has today announced he will run for another presidential term. Iohannis, aged 59, won his first term in November 2014, when he ran on the part of the Christian Liberal Alliance. Since 2000 until 2014 he was the mayor of the city of Sibiu, in central Romania. The next presidential elections in Romania are due in the fall of 2019, and, according to the Romanian Constitution, the maxim number of presidential terms a person may hold is two.

SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY – The Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, will keep supporting its president Liviu Dragnea, in all the offices he is holding, both as leader of the party and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, after he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for instigation to abuse of power. Liviu Dragnea has stated he will fulfill the objectives he has set, including the implementation of the governing program. The opposition has criticized the decision of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party. The president of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban has stated that the Liberals will try to convince as many MPs of the majority to endorse the no-confidence motion. On Monday, the motion filed by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party will be read in plenary parliamentary session and on Wednesday it will be debated and voted.

VENICE COMMISSION – Representatives of the Romanian Presidential Administration, Parliament and Justice Ministry have attended in Venice the plenary session of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, also known as the Venice Commission. One of the main topics on the meetings agenda was the modifications brought to the justice laws in Romania. The Presidential Adviser Bogdan Dima has stated that the legislative package has lots of deficiencies and the content can and should be substantially improved. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidency, President Klaus Iohannis believes that the adoption of an interim opinion of the Venice Commission is extremely important for the entire justice system in Romania. The Chairman of the Parliamentary committee in charge with the justice laws, Florin Iordache, attended the proceedings as well, and has stated that the recommendations made by the Venice Commission are extremely important to Romania. He has also stated that the three justice laws are in line with the standards set by the Commission. The modifications brought to the justice laws by the coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have been criticized by the right-wing opposition, magistrates associations and many civil society representatives.

TRANSDIESTR – The UN General Assembly has adopted the draft resolution proposed by Chisinau, alongside other 10 countries, including Romania, which calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition from the Transdiestr region of the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbor with a predominantly Romanian – speaking population. The project was approved with 64 votes for, 15 against and 83 abstentions. The Russian Federation delegation voted against and have stated that the document will undermine negotiations on the Transdniestr issue. The Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip has hailed the document, just like the Romanian Foreign Ministry. There are some 1000 Russian soldiers from the former 14th Soviet Army deployed in Transdniestr, who are guarding armament and ammunition warehouses, as well as 500 soldiers from the peace forces deployed in the security zone along Dniestr. There are also troops subordinated to the separatist regime in Tiraspol, accounting for some 15,000 soldiers. Transdniestr went out of Chisinaus authority in 1992, after an armed conflict.

23 June 2018
June 22, 2018

SENTENCE – An emergency meeting of the executive board of the Social
Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania, is to be
held today, to discuss the situation created by the president of the party
Liviu Dragnea being sentenced to prison for instigation to abuse of power by a
court of first instance. The executive president of the Social Democratic
Party, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, believes that Dragnea should benefit
from the presumption of innocence until the final ruling, while the
vice-president and Interior Minister Carmen Dan claims that the sentence issued
by the High Court of Cassation and Justice is politically motivated and a
revenge from those who oppose the reforming of the rule of law. The right-wing
opposition wants Dragnea to resign from his public offices.

JUSTICE LAWS – Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has sent back for
reexamination in Parliament the bill that amends and completes the Law on the
functioning of the Higher Council of the Magistracy. According to Iohannis, the
bill includes provisions that are contradictory, unclear, as well as references
to provisions and norms that do not exist. This bill, just like the ones
regarding judicial organization and the status of judges and prosecutors, is on
the agenda of the talks that the chairman of the parliamentary committee in
charge with the laws Florin Iordache will have today and tomorrow at the
plenary session of the Venice Commission, the advisory body of the Council of Europe in the field of
constitutional law. Iordache has stated that the three bills are in line with
the opinions expressed by the Venice Commission and do not affect the
independence of the judiciary. A Venice Commission delegation has recently paid
a visit to Bucharest, to analyze the justice laws. Their modification, in the
form wanted by the coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance
of Liberals and Democrats has been criticized by the right-wing opposition,
magistrates’ associations and many civil society voices.

REVOLUTION CASE – Romania’s President
Klaus Iohannis has submitted to the Minister of Justice Tudorel Toader the
request for the criminal prosecution of the retired admiral Emil Cico
Dumitrescu, investigated for crimes against humanity committed during the 1989
Revolution. The first post-communist president Ion Iliescu and the former
prime-minister Petre Roman, as well as his deputy Gelu Voican Voiculescu are
also being prosecuted in the Revolution case. They allegedly masterminded a
military diversion, aimed to legitimize them as leaders of the power that took
over control after the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu attempted to flee,
a diversion in which many people were wounded and killed and which caused
significant material damage. 1,166 people died in the events of December 1989,
800 of them after the toppling of the Ceausescu regime.

CENTER – The Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor has
announced that a recovery center for soldiers returned from theaters of
operations abroad will be established near Targoviste, in southern Romania.
Investment might start next year. The project is an initiative of the Veterans’
Association and of the Disabled Veterans’ Association.

MOLDOVA – The Court of Appeal of the Republic of Moldova endorsed on
Thursday the invalidation of the early elections for the office of mayor of the
capital Chisinau. The second round of the ballot was won on June 3rd by the
representative of the pro-European opposition Andrei Nastase, who defeated the
pro-Russia socialist Ion Ceban. Nastase has announced he will appeal the
decision to the Supreme Court of Justice and has called for street protests.
The decisions made by the courts have already triggered protests in the country
and reactions from the European Union and the US embassy in Chisinau, who have
called for the appeal procedures to be carried out in a transparent manner. In
Bucharest, the Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has warned that the
invalidation of mayoral elections might affect the stability of the republic,
and the right-wing opposition has voiced support for Nastase. If Nastase’s win
is not validated by a higher instance, Chisinau will be headed by an interim
mayor until the local election normally due next year.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu,
ranking 29th in the WTA classification, will today play against the Ukrainian
Elina Svitolina, no. 5 WTA, in the quarter finals of the Birmingham tournament,
with 850 thousand dollars in prize money. If she wins, Buzarnescu will take on
the winner of the match between Petra Kvitova (no.8 WTA) and Julia Goerges (no.
13 WTA). In the third round of this year’s Roland Garros tournament, Buzarnescu
defeated Svitolina 2-0.

BAD WEATHER – The Romanian Meteorological
Administration has issued a code yellow warning for bad weather, in place on
Friday for three quarters of the country. Torrential rain, powerful gusts of
wind and storms will be reported in most regions. For the south and south-east
of the country, the warning is valid until Saturday morning. The Hydrology
Institute has too issued a code yellow warning for flooding, affecting the
counties in the north, center and east, in place until Saturday. Temperatures
are dropping all over the country, with highs ranging from 19 to 34 degrees.

22 June 2018
Social Democratic Rally in Bucharest

Street music and theatre performances, a football match, marches in support of and against the LGTB community, meetings promoting the reunification of Romania with the neighbouring Republic of Moldova; these are just a few of the many events that the Romanian capital hosted on Saturday, a day which fortunately passed without serious incidents being reported.

The largest event of the day was the rally staged by the ruling coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, which brought to Bucharest more than 100,000 people. Members and supporters were called from all across the country to protest against what the Social Democratic Leader Liviu Dragnea described as abuse and violation of the rule of law principles.

Speaking on behalf of his party colleagues and Liberal-Democratic junior partners, he has accused the existence of an illegitimate, underground structure, which he has generically dubbed “the parallel state, which is allegedly influencing the decisions of the judiciary. This nebulous structure would include prosecutors, including the head of the National Anticorruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, special services generals, civic activists, hostile journalists and right wing opposition politicians.

Allegedly established by the former head of state Traian Basescu and currently headed by the current president Klaus Iohannis, the parallel state would be the one preventing the left from providing Romanians with the well-being they promised in 2016, when, after a short technocratic governing, the Social Democratic Party once again took the reigns of power. “We want prosperity, not security was one of the slogans chanted during the rally, hinting at the hideous political police of the communist dictatorship, the Securitate, which, they say, is now back to life, in a democracy which was nonetheless validated by Romanias joining the European Union and NATO.

According to a large part of the media, constantly challenged by a civil society that accuses the power of wanting to stop the fight against corruption and manipulating the magistracy, the Social Democratic Party needed the rally to gain legitimacy as the main political force in the country.

However marginal, there are voices in the party, though, who say that organizing a protest rally when you actually control the Government, Parliament, prefectures and three quarters of the countrys municipalities is rather absurd.

To the Liberal opposition, the rally was a profoundly undemocratic action, aimed to intimidate the magistrates, the public servants and the state sector employees who refuse to obey political orders, and also the journalists who dare challenge and criticize the Social Democratic Party.

International news agencies have reported on the event, describing it as the majority gathering troops against magistrates and also noting that on Friday, right on the eve of the rally, the High Court of Cassation and Justice postponed, for the third time, the verdict in the process in which prosecutors of the National Anti-corruption Directorate called on the judges to sentence Dragnea to 7 years and 5 months in prison for abuse of office and 2 years and 6 months for forgery. In 2016 he already got a suspended two-year prison sentence for attempted electoral fraud. (Edited by D. Vijeu)

11 June 2018