August 27, 2022

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 27.08.2022, 13:55

Aid.
A new payment of 250 lei, the equivalent of 50 euros, was transferred to the
social cards distributed as part of a financial aid scheme for Romania’s most
vulnerable people and which they can use to buy food and warm meals. The total
sum amounts to around 600 million lei and comes out of European funds. The
scheme provides for four such payments, made every two months by the end of the
year. 2.4 million Romanians in difficult financial situations benefit from this
type of assistance.

Anniversary.
The majority Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova celebrates today the 31st
anniversary since its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. Created
on some of the eastern Romanian territories annexed by Stalin’s Soviet Union in
1940, following an ultimatum, the Republic of Moldova became independent after
the failure of a neo-Bolshevik coup against the then reformist Russian
president Mikhail Gorbachev. Adopted on 27th August 1991 by the
Moldovan Parliament, the declaration of independence was recognised by Romania
on the same day and by the international community on 2nd March
1992, when the new state was admitted into the United Nations Organisation.

Support.
Romania will continue to be the biggest supporter of
the Republic of Moldova, its citizens and its European integration, said
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on the 31st anniversary of Moldova’s
independence, while prime minister Nicolae
Ciucă said in a statement that Romania will continue to firmly support
the Republic of Moldova on its path to opening EU accession talks. Romania has always stood by Moldova on its path towards
development, while the shared language, history and culture of the citizens of
the two countries will be reinforced within a common future within the European
space of democracy and shared values, the prime minister’s statement also
reads.

Education.
The bills on the reform of the education system in Romania may be on the
government’s table at the beginning of September, said education minister Sorin
Cîmpeanu. He said the ministry received almost 1,500 proposals to amend the
bills following a process of public consultation, all of which will be analysed
by the ministry’s experts. Representatives of teachers, pupils, parents and
civil society have requested that the period for public consultation be
extended, an idea rejected by the ministry.

Water polo. Romania lost to
Germany 10-15 in their first ever appearance at a Women’s European Water Polo
Championship, whose current edition is hosted by Croatia. Romania are in Group
A, together with The Netherlands, Greece, Croatia and Hungary and will next be
playing Greece on Sunday.

Tennis. 7th seed Simona Halep of Romania will play her
opening US Open match against a qualifier. Halep last year reached the
tournament’s fourth round, but her best result was a semifinal back in 2015.
Romania has four more players on the main draw in women’s singles. Irina Begu
has a difficult opening match against Belgium’s Elise Mertens, having lost all
three previous matches. Sorana Cîrstea will play Germany’s Laura Siegemund;
Gabriela Ruse, who has had a lot of medical problems this year, will play
Australia’s Daria Saville; and Jaqueline Cristian, who has just come back after
a serious injury, will face second seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia. (CM)