Court. The Constitutional Court of Romania on Saturday rejected the two contestations against the candidacy of Călin Georgescu to president of Romania. The Central Electoral Bureau also received a number of contestations following the submission of his candidacy for presidential elections as independent on Friday. One such move came from the rector of the National School for Political and Administrative Studies, Remus Pricopie, and one of the arguments invoked was the incompatibility of the candidate’s discourse and behaviour with the democratic and constitutional values of the Romanian state. In December last year, the Constitutional Court of Romania cancelled the presidential elections after noting that the entire election process had been corrupted in favour of Georgescu, a pro-Russian and anti-West extremist. Georgescu is currently under investigation for instigating actions against the constitutional order, initiating and creating an organisation of a fascist, racist and xenophobic nature, promoting the cult of persons guilty of committing genocide and war crimes and initiating and creating an anti-Semitic organisation.
Women. Women made up one third of national parliaments in the European Union in 2024, up by 5.6% compared with 2014, according to data published by Eurostat on Friday. Sweden, Finland and Denmark had the highest number of women in Parliament among EU member states, with 45%, while Cyprus, with 14.3%, Hungary, with 14.6% and Romania, with 19.5%, had the fewest women in Parliament. In 2024, women held 35.1% of the government posts in the European Union, up by 7.4% compared with 2014. Finland has the most number of women in government positions, while Hungary had none, and in Czechia women held 5.9% of government positions. In Romania, women held some 30% of posts in government, up 10% compared with 2014.
Ukraine. At least 11 persons were killed and 30 wounded, including five children, in Russian rocket and drone attacks carried out during the night in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dobropilia, the Ukrainian interior ministry said on Saturday, quoted by Reuters. Three other civilians were killed in a separate drone attack in the Kharkov region, in the north-east. “Such strikes show that Russia’s goals are unchanged. Therefore, it is very important to continue to do everything to protect life, strengthen our air defense, and increase sanctions against Russia. Everything that helps Putin finance the war must break down,” Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media.
Earthquake. An earthquake measuring 3.4 degrees on the Richter scale occurred on Saturday morning in Buzău county, in the Vrancea seismic area, according to the National Research and Development Institute for Earth Physics. The tremor took place at a depth of 129.4 km. Since the beginning of March, Romania has seen 9 earthquakes measuring between 2 and 3.3 degrees on the Richter scale. The biggest earthquake last year, measuring 5.4, took place in Buzău county on 16th September.
Book fair. Between the 11th and the 13th of March, Romania will take part in the London Book Fair. Poet Ana Blandiana, writer and publisher Denisa Comănescu and actress Oana Pellea are some of the guests of the Romanian Cultural Institute, the organiser of the Romanian stand. The Institute’s president, Liviu Jicman, says the country’s presence in the fair is essential, because it is an opportunity to bring the works of the Romanian authors to an extremely important and competitive market, with a global impact. The London Book Fair is considered the second largest event of its kind in the world.
Tennis. Romanian tennis player Irina Begu lost to Katie Boulter of Great Britain in three sets on Friday, in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, in the US, worth almost 9 million dollars in prize money. Other Romanian players in action in the second round are Jaqueline Cristian, who will be facing Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, and Sorana Cîrstea, who will be playing Emma Navarro of the US. (CM)