23 September, 2015
News and Current Affairs
Daniela Budu, 23.09.2015, 11:59
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis today takes part in an informal gathering of the European Council in Brussels, called by Germany in order to deal with the migrant crisis, one day after a meeting of ministers of the interior around the same topic. Last evening, in spite of opposition from several eastern European countries, including Romania, the EU decided to distribute among member states 120,000 refugees. Romania got 2,500 refugees to house instead of the 1,785 it had committed to. The decision is still to be debated at the summit.
After the meeting in Brussels, the Romanian president goes to New York to attend the UN Organization General Assembly. The head of state will hold several speeches there, also meeting American investors. Iohannis will also hold a meeting with Vice-President Joe Biden to talk about the refugee crisis faced by Europe, alongside the issue of terrorism.
The gathered chambers of the Romanian Parliament have rejected the 2014 activity report and budget of Romanian public television, with 115 votes in favor and 222 against it. According to the law, the Board of Directors and the president and CEO of the state TV channel, Stelian Tanase, have been practically dismissed by the move. Interim chairman of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea said that his party wants the positions of president and CEO to be separate, with the CEO position taken based on a public competition.
Romanias national rugby team on Londons Olympic Stadium will be taking on the defending vice-champions France, in their debut fixture at the World Rugby Cup. In pool D on Wembley Stadium, Romania will also be taking on the Six Nations Trophy holder Ireland on September 27, in Leicester on October the 6th they will be facing Canada, while in Exeter on October 11 Romania will be playing its last group fixture against Italy. Also known as the Oak Leaf Knights, the Romanians took part in all previous six editions of the World Cup, yet they have never succeeded to go past the group stage.
The newly re-elected PM of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, formed a new coalition government alongside a nationalist right leaning party. The new executive has the difficult task of applying the provisions of the agreement signed in August with international lenders, providing Greece with 86 billion dollars. Tsipras is keeping in place his former finance minister, appointing George Chouliarakis as point negotiator for the rescue plan.
The Romanian Parliament has introduced a no confidence vote against the government. It was initiated by the opposition Liberal Pary, which announced it would lead negotiations to attract more MPs to their side in order to dismiss the premier, who is being investigated by anti-corruption prosecutors. The motion is supported by 180 senators, and will be voted on next Tuesday.
