February 19, 2014
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România Internațional, 19.02.2014, 23:40
Romanian Liberals firmly keep their stand in the negotiations with the ruling center-left Social-Liberal Union. At an emergency meeting called against the backdrop of protracted misunderstanding over the new government membership, the liberals reconfirmed the mandate of the party’s leader, Crin Antonescu, as an intransigent negotiator in the talks with the Social-Democratic Party, their main partner in the alliance. The Liberals condition their further participation in the government by the nomination of new interior, economy, finance and health ministers and of a deputy prime minister, offices they are entitled to. They also want that there should further be three deputy prime ministers and that the Social-Democratic Union be urgently dismantled; the Union was joined by the other three parties represented in the government: the Social-Democratic Party and the smaller Conservative Party and the National Union for the Progress of Romania. The Liberals also claim a cut in social securities, tax exemption for reinvested profit and the withdrawal of the controversial Amnesty Law from Parliament. The government crisis has been lasting for nearly two weeks now.
The Romanian government is today adopting the memorandum agreed upon with the IMF on the assessment of the precautionary accord concluded last autumn. Prime Minister Victor Ponta said that the document would then be submitted for approval to president Traian Basescu. We recall that last year, president Basescu refused the sign the memorandum, opposing the introduction of an excise rate of 7 eurocents per litre of fuel. Also today, the government might adopt a plan of reorganizing state-owned companies, which will entail a cut in their arrears by about 446 million euros.
The largest insurance firm on the Romanian market, Astra has been placed under special administration. The measure has been taken by the Financial Surveillance Authority after irregularities were discovered through verification. Astra’s owner, Dan Adamescu said that the Authority’s decision was unacceptable and he would take legal action to have it cancelled.
At least 25 people were killed and a few hundred wounded in violent clashes in downtown Kiev between the riot police and protesters last night — the Ukrainian Health Ministry has today announced, quoted by press agencies. The Ministry has confirmed that a journalist from a local paper was shot dead. In another development, the Interior Ministry has announced that nine officers died and over 370 needed health care. The Ukrainian capital is paralyzed, after the authorities have announced that the underground traffic is further suspended because of possible attacks. The measure will stay in place until the situation is stable. In the Western regions, pro-European demonstrators seized again the administrative buildings and captured weapons in a military unit. Pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovyc has accused the opposition of “getting out of line” hoping to take over power through street demonstrations. Russian deputy foreign minister Grigory Karasin is today going to Kiev, while Western countries launch an appeal for calm calling on both sides to abstain from violence. Bucharest has launched a similar appeal.
Russia will soon introduce visas for all members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, including the ex-Soviet Republic of Moldova, Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak has announced. He has made it clear that Moscow thus wants to defend itself from interethnic conflicts. The measure is taken against the backdrop of Chisinau’s signing the Association Agreement with the EU this year. In a few months, the Republic of Moldova will get a visa waiver in the EU. On January 1st, Russia decided to limit the stay of immigrants who do not have labour patents or permits to 90 days, for six months. According to the media, the restrictions enforced by Russia might affect over 200,000 Moldovan citizens working in Russia.
