April 23, 2019 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 23.04.2019, 20:18

PROPOSALS Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday rejected proposals
coming from Romania’s main ruling political group, the Social Democratic Party,
for the appointment of three new ministers in the cabinet led by Prime Minister
Viorica Dancila. According to Iohannis, the nominees aren’t prepared for these
positions and called on the Prime Minister to come with other nominees. Eugen
Nicolicea, vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, was supposed
to replace Tudorel Toader at the Justice Ministry. The Social-Democrats
withdrew their political support for Toader after he had refused to endorse the
controversial emergency ordinances on amending the penal codes. Prime Minister
Viorica Dancila has transmitted towards the presidential administration the
resignations of the Minister for European Funds, Rovana Plumb, and the Minister
for the Romanians all over the World, Natalia Intotero. The two are the Social
Democrats’ candidates in the European Parliament elections in May. MP Oana
Florea was proposed for the Ministry of European Funds and Liviu Brailoiu for
the Ministry of the Romanians from all over the world.

COMMITTEE A special Parliament committee on justice in the Chamber of
Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday approved a report on the draft amendments to
the penal code in the form endorsed by the Senate. No opposition amendment was
accepted. The project is to be debated and voted upon in the Chamber of
Deputies, which is a decision maker in this case. Senators decided to eliminate
several provisions from the initial form of the law, which had been deemed
unconstitutional by the country’s Constitutional Court. Several provisions have
attracted a lot of heat from the opposition, such as the reduction of the
statute of limitation, shorter probation terms and removing the statutes of
dereliction of duty.

CELEBRATION The Romanian Army celebrated on April 23rd the Ground Forces
Day. On this occasion, President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message in which he
underscored the involvement and valor of the land forces’ military that
contribute to providing a climate of security and stability for all Romanians
and to ensuring security and maintaining peace in the region and in Europe. Romania’s
Ground Forces continue to contribute soldiers to the missions Romania
undertakes in the theatres of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Western
Balkans, President Iohannis underlined.

MIGRATION In the context of migration, border security and the reform of the
asylum policies dominate the agenda of European debates. The Romanian
presidency of the Council of the EU is holding this week a conference entitled
‘Operational solutions for ensuring fluid and secure crossing of EU sea and
land borders’. Recently, the ambassadors of the member states confirmed, on
behalf of the Council, the informal agreement reached by the EP representatives
and the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU on a new Border and Coast
Guard Regulation at European level. Under this agreement, Frontex’s mandate is
extended in the sense of continuing to assist member states in such matters as
border protection, controls and return of people without the right to reside
and cooperation with third countries. Europe has more than 13 thousand km of
external border on land and almost 66 thousand km on sea, hence the need to
secure and consolidate borders.

(translated by bill)