May 1, 2017
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Newsroom, 01.05.2017, 13:48
MAY DAY — Over 80 countries on Monday celebrated May Day, also known as the International Workers’ Day set up in 1889 to commemorate the Heymarket affair in Chicago. In Romania, the communist regime had twisted the holiday to serve as propaganda. Currently, May Day is a public holiday marking the beginning of the summer season. Over 40,000 tourists visited the Romanian Black Seacoast, especially the resorts of Mamaia and Vama Veche, while some 20,000 tourists chose mountain resorts as their holiday destinations.
AIR POLICING — Over May 1 — August 31 a squadron of the Royal Air Force will be deployed to the Mihail Kogalniceanu military airbase in eastern Romania, where it will carry out air policing missions jointly with the Romanian Air Force, the Romanian Defense Ministry has announced. The squadron consists of 150 military, using Typhoon fighter jets for the first time in Romania. The British fighters will be supported by MiG-21 LanceR jets. Typhoon is one the world’s fastest aircraft, fitted with anti-air radars. Deploying RAF jets to Romania is part of NATO’s action plan to secure operational capability on the Alliance’s eastern, northern and southern flanks. The joint air policing missions will contribute to developing the reaction and deterrence capacity and to consolidating interoperability between Romanian and British air forces.
MACRON — The European Union must reform itself to avoid France potentially leaving the European community, French pro-European presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron has said. Macron is currently favourite to win in the second round of the presidential race which will be held this Sunday. His opponent is National Front representative Marine Le Pen. During the election campaign I have constantly advocated European ideas and policies, because these are very important things for the French people and for our country’s role in the context of globalization, but the dysfunctionality of the Union is no longer sustainable, Macron went on to say. Marine Le Pen on the other hand has overtly expressed her Eurosceptic beliefs during the campaign, promising to stage a referendum on France’s EU membership.
COLLECTIVE PARDON — A few dozen people on Sunday protested the Government’s decision to pass a law on collective pardon. Protesters say the criminal legislation in Romania should be strengthened. The Chamber of Deputies is this week expected to debate and vote a draft law reducing the sentence of certain inmates due to improper detention conditions. The European Court of Human Rights has decided that detention conditions in Romanian prisons go against the European Convention for Human Rights and has given Romanian authorities 6 months to come up with a plan to solve the issue. The National Penitentiary Authority director Marius Vulpe has warned that collective pardon or house arrest is only a short-term solution to prison overcrowding.
FRONTEX — On April 25 Romanian border police officers on the Aegean Sea saved 38 people, of whom 17 children, traveling on an overcrowded raft about to sink, the Romanian Border Police General Inspectorate has announced. The people were originating from Syria, Iraq and Kuwait. Since their deployment in Greece earlier this year, the Romanian border police working on Coast Guard ships have saved a total of 704 people in danger travelling on small-sized boats in Greek waters as part of individual or concerted FRONTEX efforts.
HANDBALL — The Romanian men’s handball team Potaissa Turda on Sunday qualified to the Challenge Cup finals after defeating Valur Reykjavik of Iceland in the return leg of the semi-finals, played on home turf, 32-23. Potaissa qualified on aggregate after losing 30-22 to Valur in the first leg. In the final, the Romanian team will go up against Sporting Lisbon of Portugal. (Translated by V. Palcu)
