January 1, 2015
A roundup of domestic and international news.
România Internațional, 01.01.2015, 12:00
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis wishes Romanians at home and abroad that the New Year should see their hopes turned into reality. In his New Year message, President Iohannis voiced confidence that this year would mark the beginning of a Romania of normalcy. He urged Romanians to set their differences aside and focus on what unites them. In his turn, Prime Minister Victor Ponta wished Romanians a Happy New Year in a Facebook message, saying that 2015 will definitely be a good year. Romania’s Former King Michael I and his wife, Queen Ana, wished Romanians a New Year full of joy, good health and accomplishments.
Romanian Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers celebrate today, on the first day of the new year, Saint Basil the Great, bishop of Caesarea, one of the most important fathers of the Orthodox Church and one of the greatest Christian theologians. Born in the 4th century AD, Saint Basil the Great lived a humble life and was the first bishop to set up hospitals and asylums for the ill and the poor. January 1st is also the day when over 600 thousand Romanians celebrate their name day.
In 2015 the Romanian city of Cluj is the European Youth Capital. Over 1,500 events will be held here throughout the year. The freezing temperatures did not discourage the Cluj locals who wanted to celebrate in the city center the title of European Youth Capital.
Serbia is taking over, as of today, the presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The new presidency’s main goal is, according to the Belgrade authorities, to make the organisation a bridge between the sides involved in the Ukainian crisis. The head of the OSCE, Didier Burkgalter, said that the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation was the worst violation of the Helsinki principles in 2014. He said that in 2014 the security situation in Europe deteriorated significantly, and called on OSCE member states to double their efforts to overcome the crisis. In Helsinki in 1975, 35 heads of state signed a major agreement to safeguard security in a post-WWII world.
Latvia has taken over, as of today, January 1st 2015, the rotating presidency of the European Union. The former Soviet republic became an EU member in 2004, and joined the Eurozone in 2014. Also today, January 1st, Lithuania, another Baltic country, becomes the 19th member of the monetary union. The single European currency was introduced on January 1st, 1999.
In Romania, an extreme cold alert has been issued until January 2nd 2015. During this interval, the weather will be freezing all over the country, with minimum temperatures reaching minus 32 degrees. The noon temperature in Bucharest was minus 8 degrees Celsius. Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing this entire period. Meteorologists say this has been the coldest New Year’s Eve in the past 53 years.
