5 December, 2018

A round-up of the main stories in Romania today.

Newsroom, 05.12.2018, 19:42

EU presidency. The Romanian prime minister Viorica Dăncilă said in Brussels, after her
government met the European Commission, that the latter are firmly convinced
that Romania can successfully carry out its upcoming presidency of the Council
of the European Union. She added that Romania wants an ambitious mandate,
saying the meeting of the Romanian government with the College of Commissioners
was part of the preparations for Romania’s taking over the EU Council’s
rotating presidency on 1st January 2019. In Brussels, the prime
minister presented the agenda
and priorities of the Romanian term. The president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker said the Romanian government is
ready to take over the presidency. He also said that there are still
differences between the Romanian government and the Commission with respect to
the rule of law, but that they are not related to the presidency of the EU
Council, but are a matter of bilateral relations. He recalled that Romania’s
presidency faces difficult moments, such as the UK’s expected withdrawal from
the Union on 29th March next year. Also, the basic directions of the
future financial framework need to be established and there are 257 dossiers
that need to be debated within only four months, ahead of the start of the
European Parliament election campaign. Jean Claude Juncker also expressed hope
that Romania would join Schengen by the time the term of the current Commission
comes to an end, in October 2019.

Survey. The results of the Educated
Romania project initiated by Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis were launched
on Wednesday for public debate. According to the Presidential Administration,
the project has been the most extensive public consultation in education, involving
the participation of over 10,000 people. The priorities of the project, which
was launched in 2016, refer to the teaching career, educational management,
equity, vocational education, higher education, the evaluation of pupils and
students and early education. The website of the project was also launched on
Wednesday, where the results will be available for consultation and where all
those interested are invited to leave their opinions and suggestions.

Commemoration.
Romanians on Wednesday
commemorated their last sovereign, King Michael I, who passed away at his
residence in Switzerland, on December 5, 2017, at the age of 96. A religious
ceremony organised by the family was held at the Royal Resting Place in Curtea
de Arges, in southern Romania, where all of Romania’s kings are interred. In
Bucharest, Senators kept a moment of silence in memory of King Michael I. It
is a gesture of normalcy in the year of
Great Union Centenary, when we should
show respect for history and the people who have written it, the
initiator of the proposal, Liberal Senator Mario Oprea has said. He was a
person whom I admired and respected the most, of all those whom I met along my
entire life, said writer and political analyst
Stelian Tănase, who has launched in Bucharest a book entitled Conversations
with King Michael, which consists in the transcripts of 12 dialogues he had
with the former sovereign in 2005.

NATO. The Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu on Wednesday
attended the second day of a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels. The meeting
first tackled the Western Balkans, with the talks being also attended by the EU
foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. The Romanian official emphasised the
importance of a unified message and the coordination of NATO and EU actions in
this region, which Romania will continue to support strongly during its
upcoming term as holder of the EU Council presidency. The final part of the
meeting was dominated by the situation in Afghanistan, with Teodor Melescanu
underlining that his country would continue to maintain an active profile and a
significant presence in the Afghan theatre of operations next year. Also on
Wednesday, the Romanian minister met Wess Mitchell, the US Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. They discussed the
bilateral political, economic and security relationship, the developments in
the Black Sea area and ways to manage the challenges in the region.

Radio
Romania. Radio
Romania and Radio France have concluded a four-year cooperation agreement. The
document has been signed in Paris by the presidents of the two public stations,
Georgică Severin and Sibyle Veil. The project is meant to tighten the
sustainable relations between Romania and France through cultural activities as
well as exchange of journalists. The President of the Romanian Radio
Broadcasting Corporation, Georgică Severin, has underlined that Romania has
remained a pole of Francophony in eastern Europe. According to Georgică
Severin, Radio Romania will soon sign a similar agreement with RAI and has
reached an advanced stage of negotiations for a partnership with the BBC.