December 1, 2024 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 01.12.2024, 19:07
Parliamentary elections update – More than 8.2 million Romanians, i.e. almost 46% of the 18 million with the right to vote, had gone to the polls, until 6 p.m. local time, in the parliamentary elections taking place on Sunday. The turnout is significantly higher than the one recorded, at the same hour, at the parliamentary elections 4 years ago. In the diaspora, where Romanians started voting on Saturday, the number of voters exceeded 603 thousand. The number of urban voters exceeds that of rural voters by more than 1 million. 31 parties and alliances, as well as 19 organizations of national minorities, are registered in today’s elections. Voting is proportional, on lists. We remind you that on June 9, local and European Parliament elections took place in Romania simultaneously.
National Day – Romania’s National Day was celebrated on Sunday, December 1, throughout the country, with parades, military and religious ceremonies and shows. Thousands of people attended the parade in the center of Bucharest, which enjoyed the participation of over 2,500 Romanian soldiers from the army and other law enforcement agencies. Along with the Romanian soldiers, 240 foreign soldiers participated in the parade, as part of detachments from allied countries: Albania, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States and Turkey. President Klaus Iohannis hosted, on Saturday, the last reception dedicated to the National Day in his capacity as head of state. At the end of his 10-year mandate, Iohannis sent a message of unity and solidarity, in order to overcome crises and move forward with dignity. The Romanian Cultural Institute organized abroad events dedicated to the National Day. December 1, 1918 marks the establishment of the Romanian unitary nation state. At the end of the First World War, all the provinces inhabited mostly by Romanians that were, until then, under the authority of the Austro-Hungarian and Tsarist empires: Transylvania, Banat, Bucovina and Bessarabia became part of the Kingdom of Romania.
Message – Representatives of foreign embassies in Bucharest wished Romania, which they consider a friend and reliable partner, ‘Happy National Day’, on December 1. The German ambassador, Peer Gebauer, wrote on the diplomatic mission’s Facebook page that his country and Romania are united by a wonderful friendship. Giles Portman, the British ambassador in Bucharest, described Romania as a close ally. And the ambassador of Israel, Lior Ben Dor, remembered that his parents and grandparents come from Romania. Romania has a rich history, beautiful landscapes and hospitable people. For Israel, Romania will always be a close friend with whom we have a special relationship. I am grateful that I have the chance to contribute to strengthening the relations between our countries’, said Lior Ben Dor. The US Embassy in Bucharest also sent a congratulatory message through the Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who showed that Romania’s commitment to security and democracy in Europe is a model for all nations to follow. The head of American diplomacy stated that his country is proud to collaborate with Romania, to address global challenges and secure the prosperity and wellbeing of our peoples.
Handball – The Romanian women’s national handball team take on the team of Montenegro on Sunday in Debrecen, Hungary, in the second match of group B of the European Championship to be hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. In the first match, the Romanian players defeated the Czech Republic, and the Montenegrin team defeated Serbia. The teams ranked on the first two places will qualify for the main groups. This is the first continental final tournament with 24 teams at the start.
Ballot recount – The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) has informed that all the ballots registered in the polling stations abroad in the first round of the presidential election on November 24 have been sent to the country. The diplomatic missions and consular offices of Romania used, for this purpose, the fastest and safest transport solutions identified, depending on the geographical areas and the time zone, MAE stated. They also said that, on Monday, more than 97% of the ballots cast in the Diaspora will be in Bucharest. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court of Romania asked the Central Electoral Bureau to recount all the validly cast votes and the invalid ones from the first round of the presidential election, following the notification by one of the candidates regarding possible fraud. On Monday, the constitutional judges will decide whether to validate or cancel the election. If they validate it, the second round will take place on Sunday, December 8. (LS)
