14 October 2017, UPDATE

Romania and Ukraine to continue dialogue over the latters new education law./ Rally calling for end to violence against women was held in Bucharest.

Newsroom, 14.10.2017, 18:37

Government reshuffle. The Romanian prime
minister Mihai Tudose has said he will present president Klaus Iohannis, on Monday, with
his proposals for the new heads of the development, transport and European
funds ministries, namely Paul Stanescu, Felix Stroe and Marius Nica, respectively. The nominations were made on Friday by the Social Democratic
Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition. They will replace Sevil
Shhaideh, Rovana Plumb and Razvan Cuc, who have resigned. Shhaideh and Plumb
are being investigated by the National Anticorruption Directorate for
corruption. Also on Friday, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Social
Democrat’s ruling partner, said it would not withdraw support for its
representative in the cabinet, the minister for the relation with Parliament
Viorel Ilie, who is under investigation for peddling in influence.

Europe. The idea of a two or multi-speed Europe
or a Europe of concentric circles would only deepen divisions among member
states, and Romania will not accept this possibility, said the country’s
president Klaus Iohannis during talks with the European Council president Donald
Tusk in Bucharest. Tusk is on a tour to discuss a document on the consolidation
of the community space. President Iohannis also called for a united, strong and
coherent Europe that is closer to its citizens and has a clear identity at
global level. According to the president’s office, this goal will define
Romania’s term as holder of the EU Council presidency in the first half of
2019.

Ukraine education law. The minister for
Romanians abroad Andreea Pastirnac met the Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo
Klimkin in Bucharest on Friday. The Romanian official expressed concern over
Ukraine’s new education law that drastically restricts the access of ethnic
minorities in Ukraine to education in their languages. She said she received
indications from the Romanian community in Ukraine about the negative impact of
this new piece of legislation, which she fears may lead to a gradual loss of
linguistic identity. She also emphasised that the standard and quality of
teaching in Romanian should not be affected by the administrative reform in the
neighbouring Ukraine. On Friday, the Ukrainian foreign minister also met his
Romanian counterpart Teodor Melescanu, who said the Romanian authorities were
counting on Ukraine’s willingness to make the necessary decisions to address
the situation. Ukraine is home to around 500,000 ethnic Romanians.

Rally. A rally to campaign for an end to
violence against women was held on Saturday in Bucharest. Now in its third
year, the event was held under the motto You Are not Alone, to convey a
message of solidarity with the women who are victims of gender-based violence.
The participants shouted slogans such as Indifference feeds violence and We
want justice in the courts and trust in the police. The NGOs that organised
the event are calling on the authorities to take concrete steps to reduce this
type of violence, increase the number of reported and prosecuted cases and
improve assistance to women. According to a study by the European Union Agency
for Fundamental Rights, in 2014, one in four women in Romania suffered physical
or sexual abuse by their partners or had experienced this form of violence at
least once over their lifetime.

Award. The Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu
will next week receive the highest French distinction, Knight of the Legion of
Honour. The announcement was made on Friday by the director of the French
Institute in Bucharest Christophe Gigaudaut at the opening of a festival called
Films from Cannes in Bucharest. In 2007, Mungiu won the Palme d’Or trophy at
the Cannes Festival for his production 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days. He
is also the recipient of the best screenplay award for his film Beyond the
Hills in 2012, and of the best director award for Graduation in
2016. He has already received the title of Officer of the Arts and Letters from
the French ministry of culture.

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