13 November 2019

A roundup of the main stories in Romania this week.

Newsroom, 13.11.2019, 14:00

Miners. The government is considering an emergency order to provide
social protection for the miners about to lose their jobs in the Jiu Valley, in
the centre-west. The order in question is to be issued today and comes in
response of the demands of the employees of the coal mines in Paroşeni and
Uricani who recently barricaded themselves underground for 11 days. The draft
order provides for an additional monthly income for miners as a social
protection measure, noting that laying people off without ensuring temporary
financial support, especially as many of them are sole earners would deepen
poverty at local level and prevent the creation of new jobs at local level in
the medium and long run. An estimated 360 people are to be laid off this year,
with another 700 due to lose their jobs by 2024.

Commissioner. The
Liberal MEP Adina Vălean, Romania’s pick for the
position of EU transport commissioner, will be interviewed on Thursday by the
European Parliament’s specialist committees alongside the French and Hungarian
nominees. On Tuesday, she was given the green light by the Committee on Legal
Affairs, which looked at possible conflict of interest. Also on Tuesday, Vălean
was heard by the joint European affairs committees of the Romanian Parliament,
whose opinion is advisory. When the formal hearings are over, the president
elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will present the full
commission and its programme to the European Parliament on the 27th
of November. Adina Vălean has said that if she
becomes EU commissioner, she will support the continuation of the European
Interconnection Mechanism, under which 1.24 billion euros worth of investment
reached Romania for transport infrastructure and 500 million euros more for
energy. The mechanism aims to connect the transport, energy and
telecommunications infrastructures in the European Union.

Moldova. Igor Dodon, the pro-Russian
president of the Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet state with a majority
Romanian-speaking population, is today having talks with parliamentary parties
to form a new majority, following the dismissal of Maia Sandu’s pro-European
cabinet through a no-confidence vote on Tuesday. The parties have three months
to form a new government and avoid early elections. Sandu accused her former
Socialist partners de facto led by Dodon of bringing down the government because
they are afraid of the law. Romania and the European Union have warned the
Republic of Moldova that their support, including of a financial nature, is
conditional on the continuation of reforms and respect for the rule of law and
for democratic standards.

Navy. The King Ferdinand frigate is taking part in an international
anti-submarine warfare exercise organised by the Turkish Navy in the
Mediterranean Sea and which is under way until the 20th of November,
the Navy Chief of Staff has announced. The Romanian crew will be carrying out
specific training activities in Turkey’s territorial waters and neighbouring
international waters alongside colleagues from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece,
Jordan, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, the United States and Turkey.

Football. The Romanian women’s football side were defeated on Tuesday 6-nil away
by Switzerland in their final match this year, as part of their qualifying run
for Euro 2021. In October, Romania lost their first match to Belgium nil-1 and
last Friday defeated Lithuania 3-nil. Romania have 3 points in three matches
played and are in third place. In men’s football, Romania’s under-21 side are
playing at home against Finland in the Euro 2021 qualifying matches. Denmark are in
the first position in Group 8 with 9 points, followed by Finland with 7 points
and Romania with 6. Romania’s senior team are facing Sweden at home on Friday,
as part of the Euro 2020 qualifiers. Group F is dominated by Spain with 20
points, who have already secured their qualification, followed by Sweden with
15 points and Romania with 14. To qualify, Romania need to defeat Sweden and
draw against Spain away. The two best-placed sides in each group will qualify.
The drawing of lots for Euro 2020 will take place in Bucharest on the 30th
of November. The Romanian capital will also host four European Championship
matches, three group matches and a quarterfinal.

Tennis. The Romanian-Dutch pair Horia
Tecău and Jean-Julien Rojer are today facing the world no. 1 and Wimbledon and
US Open winners Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah of Colombia in the ATP Finals
in London. In the first match of Group Max Mirnyi on Monday, Tecău and Rojer lost to the Roland
Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies in three sets. The
Romanian-Dutch pair won the ATP Finals in 2015 and also qualified for this
tournament in 2014 and 2017. This year, they won the titles in Madrid and
Basel.