11 September, 2019

Tribute is paid to the victims of the 9/11 attacks in the US./ This is the last day for Romanian citizens to register to vote in the upcoming presidential elections.

Newsroom, 11.09.2019, 14:00

9/11. Romanian senators on Wednesday held a moments silence to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001. The United States also commemorates the victims of these attacks 18 years ago. Almost 3,000 people, including Romanians, were killed in the attacks perpetrated by 19 members of the Al Qaeda network who hijacked four passenger planes to crash them into some of the United States most emblematic buildings. The number of victims who inhaled toxic substances at the time continued to grow in the years that followed. The 9/11 attacks were considered the bloodiest in history, and their impact is still strongly felt among Americans.

Visit. The Romanian defence minister Gabriel Les today begins a two-day trip to North Macedonia, during which he will have talks with his counterpart Radmila Sekerinska-Jankovska. The visit by the Romanian official is the first since the signing of the protocol for North Macedonias accession to NATO in February, with Romania being among the first allied states to ratify the document. Talks will focus on issues such as the development of bilateral cooperation in the area of defence, international security, measures to combat terrorism and the commitments of the two states within regional initiatives, as well as the progress made by North Macedonia on its path to the join the European Union.

Elections. Today is the last day when the Romanian citizens who wish to vote abroad in the presidential elections on the 10th and the 24th of November can register online at www.votstrainatate.ro. Some 28,400 requests were received until Tuesday for voting at the polling booth and some 29,800 requests for voting by post. At the beginning of the month, prime minister Viorica Dancila said she requested the electoral authority to extend the registration deadline to increase the number of those who can vote by post. On Tuesday, the president of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, said his party requested the government to extend the registration deadline for Romanian citizens living abroad who wish to vote in the presidential elections. The National Liberal Party also wants an extension to the deadline by which Romanian citizens in the diaspora can ask for the creation of new voting stations.

Museum. The Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday passed a bill to create a national museum of Jews and the Holocaust in Romania. Funding will be provided by the state from the budget of the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust, as well as own funds, donations and sponsorship. The goal of the museum will be to present and promote the history of the culture and traditions of the Jewish community in Romania, the protection of the victims of the Holocaust and combating anti-Semitism. The Chamber of Deputies is the decision-making body in this case. The bill was also passed by the Senate on the 4th of September. 78 years ago, the regime of marshal Ion Antonescu, an ally of Nazi Germany, began the deportation of the Jews in eastern Romania to the occupied Soviet territories. More than 300,000 Romanian Jews were killed between 1941 and 1945.

Protest. 200 trade unions in the defence industry have today staged a protest outside the government headquarters, accusing the government of failing to fulfil its promises. They demand the cancellation of fiscal obligations, the creation of a research centre for weapons and ammunition, changing the term “the defence industry” into “strategic industry of national interest” and better salaries for the employees in this sector. Trade unions also request legislation to exempt defence employees from paying income tax for a period of ten years.

Football. Romanias Under-21 side lost 2-1 to Denmark away in their first match as part of a qualifying round for the Under-21 European Championship of 2021. In the same group, Finland drew against Northern Ireland 1-all, while Ukraine defeated Malta 4-nil. Romania will next face Ukraine on the 10th of October.

(Translated by Cristina Mateescu)