February 15, 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 15.02.2019, 13:41
BUDGET
BILL – Parliament today adopted the 2019 budget and social
security budget bills. The state budget is based on a 5.5% economic growth, a
2.76% deficit and a GDP of some 200 billion euros. More funds this year will go
to healthcare, education and investment.
DEPOSITION -
The former chief of the National Anticorruption Agency (DNA), Laura Codruta
Kovesi, will be deposed by the special Magistrates’ Investigation department of
the Prosecutor General’s Office in Bucharest. The deposition concerns a case
where Kovesi is suspected of abuse of office, bribe-taking and perjury. Kovesi
yesterday claimed she was innocent, adding that the timing of the subpoena,
overlapping with her planned visit to the European Parliament for an interview
for the position of chief European Prosecutor, is no coincidence. European
media believe Kovesi is favorite to be awarded this position. Kovesi’s indicter
is former Social-Democrat MP Sebastian Ghita, himself the subject of several
corruption investigations, who fled to neighboring Serbia. President Klaus
Iohannis has called on the special department tasked with investigating
magistrates to quickly clarify Kovesi’s indictment. The President claims this
special unit should not be used as a political investigation tool to intimidate
magistrates and prosecutors. In turn, the right-wing opposition labeled the
move as a political police operation orchestrated by the power. The European
Commission announced it is closely monitoring the latest developments, in the
context of the procedure for selecting the European Chief Prosecutor. The
Commission has reiterated its message for Romania concerning the independence
of the judiciary, saying it is of paramount importance that the country should
have an independent and professional judiciary.
GOVERNMENT -
The Romanian Government is today meeting to approve, among other things, a
decree setting the European Parliament election for May 26. Romania will have
33 MP seats in the new term, one more than its current number. The Government will
also discuss draft decree for the setup of the National Environmental Health
Risks Registry and a memo on approving the de
minimis scheme for the program aimed at modernizing and developing spa
resorts.
FLU
EPIDEMIC – The number of people who died to the flu virus this
season has reached 127, the National Center for the Surveillance and Control of
Communicable Diseases has announced today. Yesterday health authorities
signaled a slight decrease over the course of last week in the number of
reported respiratory infections, owing most likely to the inter-semester break.
According to data made public by the National Institute for Public Health, last
week some 2,500 confirmed cases of flu and over 103,000 cases of cold were
reported overall in Romania.
SECURITY – As
a high-ranking representative of Romania, the country currently holding the
six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, President
Klaus Iohannis is tomorrow opening the series of debates as part of the 55th
Munich Security Conference, together with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel
and the President of Egypt, the country currently holding the presidency of the
African Union. The Romanian official will underline the need to consolidate
NATO as a warrantor of Euro-Atlantic Security, as well as the fact that
cooperation and coordination between NATO and the EU guarantees security and
prosperity. Klaus Iohannis pointed out that the Black Sea region is one of the
most important strategic landmarks of the current security context, and Romania
wants to remain a pillar of regional stability and a source of security and
stability in NATO and the EU. The Munich Security Conference is a major global
forum for the discussion of security policy.
AGREEMENT -
Ambassadors of EU Member States on Friday signed an agreement between the
Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European
Parliament regarding a series of revised norms reducing risks in the EU banking
sector. Measures to reduce risks will guarantee enough capital in the banking
sector to give loans to natural and legal persons in complete safety. At the
same time, taxpayers are protected against any potential difficulties the banks
might experience, Romania’s Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici said earlier
today. The agreement will also consolidate the capital requirements imposed on
banks with a view to cutting incentives for excessive risk exposure. The
banking package also contains a framework for the cooperation and information
sharing among the various authorities involved in the supervision and
resolution of cross-border banking groups.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep,
world number 3 and seeded first in the Qatar Total Open in Doha, is today
playing fourth-seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the competition’s
semi-finals. Svitolina leads 4-3 in direct encounters with Halep. In the other
semi-final, Germany’s Angelique Kerber is playing Elise Mertens of Belgium.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
