December 24, 2020 UPDATE

EU and UK reach post-Brexit trade deal./ Romanians to celebrate Christmas as Covid infections pass 600,000.

Newsroom, 24.12.2020, 18:44

Brexit. The UK and the European Union have
reached a post-Brexit trade deal days before the former is due to leave the single
market. The most contentious point was the access of EU fishing boats to UK
waters. The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said this is a
fair and balanced deal, while British prime minister Boris Johnson described
it as a good deal for the whole of Europe. The UK officially left the
European Union at the end of January 2020, but remained a member of the EU
single market and customs union until the transition period expired at the end
of the year. A no-deal Brexit would have led to higher customs duties and other
trade barriers that could seriously affect the economy and the distribution
networks.

Coronavirus. Romania passed 600 thousand coronavirus infections, with 4,300 new
cases and 146 related fatalities announced on Thursday. Most infections were
again recorded in the capital Bucharest. Nearly 85% of the people infected since
the start of the outbreak have recovered. The national death toll passed
14,900. 1,234 Covid patients are in intensive care. The first batch of 10,000
dozes of anti-Covid vaccine is due to arrive in Romania on Friday and will be
delivered to infectious disease hospitals. The College of Physicians has advised
the population to agree to vaccination, which it sees as the best solution to
fight the virus at the moment. In a Christmas video message, president Klaus
Iohannis said the best present we can make this year is to protect our loved
ones. No further restrictions have been imposed in Romania around the Christmas and
New Year holidays, but a night-time curfew beginning at 11 pm remains in place,
private parties are banned, indoor bars and restaurants are closed and wearing
a face mask is mandatory in all public places, both indoors and outdoors.

Government. Romania’s
new centre-right government led by Liberal Florin Cîţu has taken office.
Supported by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union – PLUS Alliance
and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, the cabinet won a vote of
investiture on Wednesday in Parliament and was sworn in later that same
evening. The top priorities of the new government include fighting the coronavirus
pandemic and ensuring the country’s economic recovery.

Moldova. Maia Sandu, the president elect
of the Republic of Moldova, on Thursday took office at a special meeting of
Parliament and the Constitutional Court. She again called for early parliamentary
elections and reiterated her support for her country’s European integration and
for an end to its international isolation. She won some 57% of the votes in the
second round of presidential elections on 15th November, defeating
incumbent pro-Russian Socialist president Igor Dodon. 48-year old Sandu, who
also holds Romanian citizenship, is an economist with a master’s degree in
public administration from Harvard University, previously worked as an advisor
to the executive director of the World Bank and served as a minister and prime
minister. She also becomes Moldova’s first female president, three decades
after this majority Romanian-speaking republic proclaimed its independence from
the Soviet Union. Sandu said she planned to invite Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
for a visit as soon as she took office. The presidents of Romania, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia issued a joint
statement on Thursday indicating their full support for Maia Sandu and her
efforts to consolidate reforms based on democratic values, fundamental freedoms
and the rule of law. (CM)