February 21, 2018 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 21.02.2018, 19:49

BRUSSELS – Romania’s place is
clearly in the Schengen area, said in Brussels on Wednesday the European
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in a joint press conference with the
Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila. The EC President also said that the
Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, by means of which the Commission
monitors the Romanian justice system, must be lifted. Also, Juncker said that,
in the first half of 2019, when it will
be holding the presidency of the EU Council, Romania will be faced with a huge
responsibility. In turn, the Romanian Prime Minister said that the CVM should
be lifted, because it’s not normal for Romania to take over the presidency of
the EU Council while still under sanction. Romania will make all possible efforts
to ensure a fair and transparent cooperation with the European institutions,
the Prime Minister also said. On Tuesday, Viorica Dancila, on her first formal
visit abroad as Prime Minister of Romania, held talks with the President of the
European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Council President Donald
Tusk.

MOTION – The simple motion
filed by the opposition National Liberal Party against the Labour Minister Lia
Olguta Vasilescu was rejected by the Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday.
157 deputies voted against, 96 for and 16 abstained. The Liberal Party accuses
the ruling coalition of disturbing the fiscal and social systems and of
creating gaps between the private and the public sectors. According to the
initiators of the no-confidence motion, shifting the obligation to pay social
security contributions from employers to employees has led to a drop in the
salaries of more than two million people. At the debate held in the Chamber of
Deputies, minister Olguta Vasilescu said that salaries cannot drop if employers
do the right thing, as provided by law.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – Romania’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday
rejected as inadmissible the complaints submitted by the Save Romania Union
regarding the revision in Parliament of the justice laws. The opposition Save
Romania Union had filed several claims of unconstitutionality against the Law
on the organization and functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Law on the status of judges and
prosecutors and the Law regarding judicial organization. According to the Save
Romania Union, the three laws, as endorsed by parliament, undermine the
independence of the Romanian magistrates. The political power in Bucharest, however, argues that the revision of
the justice laws was necessary, given that they had not been revised in over ten
years. On the other hand, the political opposition, part of civil society and
the magistrates’ professional organizations are against the changes, saying
they only serve the vested interests of some politicians and business people.

MOLDOVA – Romania’s President
Klaus Iohannis received on Wednesday in Bucharest the Deputy Prime Minister for
European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, Iurie Leanca. On the occasion,
the Romanian president stressed the fact that a European road is the only way
for the future Republic of Moldova. Among other things, the two officials
talked about Moldova’s getting connected to the European energy system, through
Romania. On Tuesday, Leanca also held talks with the Romanian Foreign Minister
Teodor Melescanu and the Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor
Negrescu.

PROTEST – On Wednesday,
education trade unionists took to the streets and picketed the headquarters of
the Labour Ministry in Bucharest, protesting against the recent fiscal and
budgetary measures because of which, they say, thousands of employees on medical leave will lose important
amounts from their incomes. Also, they called for a renegotiation of the salary
law, whose provisions have led to situations in which certain public employees
are being discriminated against. They also want a revision of the pension law,
so that the teaching staff can retire three years before the standard age.
Similar protest actions are scheduled for Thursday.

FLU – 45 people have died from flu this winter,
according to a report presented on Wednesday by the National Center of
Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. The number of infected people
exceeds 500. Most of them live in the capital and in the counties of Constanta,
Olt, Brasov and Iasi. Authorities recommend vaccination, and the Ministry of
Health has announced that there are still some 80,000 shots available. So far,
920,000 people have been vaccinated against the flu. According to the Health
Minister Sorina Pintea, at the moment we cannot speak of a flu epidemic in
Romania.