February 22, 2024 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 22.02.2024, 20:00
ELECTIONS The United Right Alliance in opposition says it will challenge in court the move by the ruling coalition formed by the Social Democrats and the Liberals to merge local and European elections. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians, also in opposition, has described the decision to merge elections as illegal and unconstitutional. The leaders of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party, Marcel Ciolacu and Nicolae Ciucă, respectively, on Wednesday evening announced local elections and the national ballot for the European Parliament would be held on the same date in June. The two parties are to form an election alliance and run on joint lists in the European elections, but on separate lists in the local elections. The presidential elections are to be held in September and the parliamentary elections in December.
HEALTHCARE The PM of Romania Marcel Ciolacu Thursday announced new hirings to fill over 2,200 vacancies in the healthcare and social assistance sectors. He also said the government intended to recruit almost 10,000 physicians, nurses and other healthcare personnel in hospitals this year, after procedures to fill another 7,600 vacancies received the green light last month. Ciolacu said this meant better services for patients, as well as less pressure on current hospital staff. The Romanian public healthcare system is struggling with severe personnel shortages, a situation reported both by doctors, and by patients.
UKRAINE Ukraine must stay united and win the war started by Russia, Ukraine’s ambassador to Bucharest Ihor Prokopchuk said at a round table organised by the embassy. He believes the sanctions against Russia were effective, but they need to be even more effective in order to further reduce the financial resources that enable Russia to carry on the war. The diplomat also mentioned that Russia’s aggression on his country started 10 years ago. According to Prokopchuk, Russia’s current large-scale invasion is accompanied by a blatant violation of international law, the destruction of cities and many victims among civilians. Ihor Prokopchuk voiced confidence that Ukraine would win the war, and spoke about his people’s courage and heroism in withstanding the invasion and thwarting Russia’s plans to separate the country from Europe. The Ukrainian ambassador thanked Romania and the other international partners for their political, military and financial support, as well as for the sanctions against Moscow, and said he was hoping this support would continue until Ukraine won the war.
ENVIRONMENT The Romanian Black Sea coastline gained 23 hectares of beach this year in the resorts of Eforie and Agigea, following works to reduce coastal erosion and expand the beachfront. According to the environment minister Mircea Fechet, this not only benefits the environment, but also the economic and tourist activities in the area. He says legal solutions are being searched for to allow businesses to rent sections of the beach for at least 10 years, as opposed to 2 years at present. The minister believes this will make business activity more stable and predictable and drive prices of tourist services down.
TABLE TENNIS Romania’s women’s team was defeated by Japan, 3-0, on Thursday, in the quarter-finals of the World Table Tennis Championships in Busan (South Korea). On Wednesday, Romania qualified for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, thanks to a 3-0 win against Egypt in the eighth-finals.
TENNIS The Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea qualified into the semi-finals of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Dubai, after a spectacular win on Thursday against the defending Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Cîrstea (33, 22 WTA) defeated Vondrousova in 2 hours and 41 minutes, after saving 6 match points. (AMP)
