February 17, 2014

A look at the main stories in Romania today.

România Internațional, 17.02.2014, 12:00

The two leaders of the ruling Social Liberal Union, the Social Democrat prime minister Victor Ponta and the Liberal senate speaker Crin Antonescu are again discussing today the prime minister’s proposal for a new government make-up. On Sunday, Antonescu was authorised by his party to request compliance with the coalition’s protocol and reject the creation of a new position of deputy prime minister for a member of the Conservative Party. The tensions within the coalition were triggered by the decision of the Liberal Party to replace four of its cabinet ministers and ahead of the elections for the European Parliament. The Liberal Party will run for these elections independently of its coalition partners, while the Social Democratic Party will run together with the Conservative Party and the National Union for the Progress of Romania, junior members in the ruling coalition, as part of a newly created Social Democratic Union. According to commentators, Antonescu’s chances of running for president on behalf of the Social Liberal Union in November depend on maintaining the alliance with the Social Democratic Union.

Romania’s foreign minister Titus Corlatean said he wished Romania to become a point of contact for NATO in Montenegro, given that Bucharest supports this country’s European and Euro-Atlantic future. He had talks in Bucharest with the Montenegrin minister of foreign affairs and European integration, Igor Lukšići, who is on a visit to Romania. Corlatean hailed Montenegro’s progress on the path to European integration, in particular in the fields of justice, the fight against corruption and organised crime. The two officials also signed two agreements in the areas of education and culture.

The chairman of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Hannes Swoboda is today paying an official visit to Romania. He will visit the Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Energy and the research centre in Magurele, which is carrying out the biggest pan-European laser research project entitled Extreme Light Infrastructure — Nuclear Physics. Swoboda will also meet Romanian officials and representatives of Romanian research and higher education centres and attend a debate on social solidarity and opportunities for an inclusive Romania as part of the Relaunching Europe programme.

The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep went up one place in the WTA standings to reach the 9th position, the highest ranking in her career. On Sunday, Halep won the tournament in Doha, Qatar, her 7th title so far. Other Romanian players in the WTA rankings are Sorana Cirstea, at number 27, and Monica Niculescu, currently ranked 53rd.