February 8, 2015 UPDATE
A roundup of Romanian and international news
România Internațional, 08.02.2015, 19:37
The Chamber of Deputies in the Parliament of Romania is to vote on Monday on the requests to approve the prosecution and pre-trial detention of Deputy Elena Udrea, a former minister for regional development and tourism. The requests were filed by anti-corruption prosecutors, who accuse Udrea, among other things, of influence peddling and bribe taking in two corruption cases. The judicial committee of the Chamber approved on Sunday the requests filed by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. Elena Udrea has repeatedly stated that she is innocent and a victim of the plots of the interim director of the Romanian Intelligence Service, general Florian Coldea.
Deputy Eugen Tomac is the new president of the People’s Movement Party, in opposition in Romania. He was elected in a congress on Sunday, in which the party’s mentor, former president Traian Basescu, also took part. Elena Udrea resigned as party president at the end of last month, because of judicial problems.
The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, is taking part on Monday in Brussels in a meeting of EU foreign ministers. The topics for discussion will include the EU relations with Africa, the situation in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria and fighting terrorism.
Thousands of Romanians having taken out loans in Swiss francs once again protested in Sunday in Bucharest and other big cities. People are unhappy with the rising exchange rate and call for a law allowing them to switch to the national currency, using the exchange rate valid last year. However, the National Bank and commercial banks argue such a measure would be against the Constitution and would entail losses that might push them into bankruptcy, and plead for individual solutions instead. Over 75,000 Romanians have loans in Swiss francs.
Romania’s Fed Cup team has won the first round matches of World Group II, after defeating Spain on Sunday, 3-2, and will compete in the World Group play-off ties. After the singles matches on Saturday and Sunday, Romania and Spain were locked at 2-2, but the Romanians won the doubles.
The US State Department Sunday called on all parties involved in the eastern Ukraine conflict to show restraint and warned that the heavy fighting in Debaltsevo and near Mariupol may compromise the diplomatic efforts made for finding a peaceful solution in the region. Jen Psaki, a spokesperson with the Department of State, said the American authorities support the ongoing diplomatic efforts of the European countries and reaffirm that an agreement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The statements come after the president of France François Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko, agreed in a conference call on Sunday to meet in Minsk on Wednesday to find a solution to the conflict in Ukraine. More than 5,300 people have died in clashes between Kiev’s troops and the pro-Russian secessionists in eastern Ukraine since the conflict broke out nearly one year ago.
