A roundup of domestic and international news
COMMEMORATION - On Thursday, Romania celebrated the day commemorating the victims of fascism and communism. On the occasion, President Klaus Iohannis said that people should never forget these victims, and that the present generation has to actively fight for democracy and the rule of law. The president recalled that recently there have not been any regimes more bloody than fascist and communist dictatorships, which had a major impact on the development of states in Central and Eastern Europe, destroying the lives of millions of people. Forgetting these victims, the president said, would be an affront to history and humanity. The day of August 23rd is also the day when the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact was signed.
MIGRATION - The annual net migration of EU citizens to Great Britain dropped in March this year to the lowest level since 2012, with Romanians and Bulgarians accounting for half of the total number, according to data made public on Thursday by the British Office for National Statistics. The figures show that, for the first time in the past 10 years, the number of EU citizens leaving Great Britain is higher than that of people going to that country. In all, net migration has reached 271,000 people, by 28,000 more than in the previous year, due to a record migration of citizens from outside the EU. The number of EU citizens migrating to Great Britain has dropped significantly after the British voted for the country's separation from the EU, in June 2016. Employers' associations are worried that companies will find it difficult to hire the personnel they need.
BUCHAREST - The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has accused what she termed as an assault against state institutions and an attempt to divide the country and has called on the Cabinet members to avoid the spiral of conflict. This is the first reaction of the head of the Executive since the violent events of August 10, during the anti-Government protest of the Diaspora. Hundreds of people, mostly participants in the protest, but also gendarmes, needed medical care. Hundreds of complaints have been filed at the Prosecutor's Office in relation to the way in which security forces reacted during the meeting. The right-wing opposition has called for the resignation of the Interior Minister Carmen Dan, who, they say, is politically responsible for the disproportionate reaction of the gendarmes. In turn, the Social Democratic Party has stated that the whole thing was an attempt to topple the country's legitimate government by force.
AMCHAM - The American Chamber of Commerce in Romania, AmCham, has called on Romanian decision-makers and holders of public offices to show responsibility both in action and in statement and to stop discriminating against certain categories of Romanians depending on their employers. On behalf of the business community it represents, approximately 430 American, Romanian and international companies, AmCham states in a communiqué that for 25 years it has mediated the dialogue between Romanian authorities and companies that have helped develop the Romanian economy by means of investments worth more than 22 billion dollars and have created some 250,000 jobs. The private sector put Romania on the global map of investments and it's the most important contributor to the state budget, the communiqué also reads. We recall that the president of the ruling Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, has stated on a TV station that there are multinationals that finance protests in Romania and some companies have interests that run counter to the interest of the Romanian state.
ARMY PROGRAM - On Thursday, the Romanian Government approved a new army equipping program, titled 'Mobile anti-ship missile system'. According to the Executive, the supply contract, which will be multi-annual and will cover the 2018-2022 period, is worth 137 million Euros. The documents approved by the Romanian Government on Thursday include a simple ordinance promoted by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration, under which local public authorities are helped to finalize projects that benefit from European funding. It's a support mechanism that allows local administration to access loans from revenues from privatizations, registered with the Treasury, up to a maximum of 170 million Euros. Also, the Government approved an ordinance that completes several provisions in the field of education.
DIPLOMACY - The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu received on Thursday the Ambassador of the United Kingdom Andrew Noble. According to a communiqué issued by the Foreign Ministry, the two officials discussed the excellent relations between Romania and the United Kingdom and cooperation prospects. Also, they agreed that the strategic partnership between the two countries should be strengthened, by adapting it better to the current European and bilateral realities, including Romania's taking over the presidency of the Council of the EU on January 1st, 2019.
WEST NILE VIRUS - The number of people infected by the West Nile virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, has doubled in the past two weeks, according to the National Centre of Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. The cases reported include 56 cases of meningitis or meningoencephalitis and also 6 deaths caused by the virus. Most cases were reported in the counties of Dolj, Iasi and in Bucharest. Doctors warn that the infection is not transmitted from humans to humans, only through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The Health Ministry has announced that, in order to eliminate the risk of transmission through transfusion, safety measures have been put in place in all transfusion centers in the country. Also, local authorities have been urged to take carry out disinfection in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
ATTACK - The Islamic State terrorist organization has claimed the attack on Thursday in Trappes, in the western suburbs of Paris. A man stabbed to death his mother and sister and seriously injured another person, before being apprehended by security forces. According to the police, some 50 people from the area have been recruited to fight in Iraq and Syria. The town, which has 30,000 inhabitants, is one on the list of 30 areas that need additional police forces and logistics.
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