January 7, 2019 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 07.01.2019, 20:03
Council of the EU – Romania’s vision as president of the Council of the EU is that of a Europe of cohesion, this being one of Romania’s top priorities during its 6-month mandate, said the Minister Delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba on Monday. According to him another key objective is to negotiate the future financial framework for the period 2021-2027. He reminded the 4 pillars of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU: a Europe of convergence, a Europe of safety, Europe as a regional actor and a Europe of common values.
Appointments — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday signed the decrees for appointing the incumbent finance minister Eugen Teodorovici as interim deputy prime minister and minister for regional development and public administration and the incumbent minister for European funds, Rovana Plumb, as interim transport minister. The PM Viorica Dancila made the proposals forwarded to the president to ensure the continuity of the activity of the two ministries, shows a government communiqué. The government officials said they were still expecting the president’s motivation for having rejected the previous proposals for the transport and development ministries. On Friday president Iohannis had announced he would reject the proposals made for the respective ministries namely Lia Olguta Vasilescu and Mihai Draghici and that he would motivate his decision this very week. On Thursday Klaus Iohannis signed the decrees ascertaining the vacancies of the two ministerial positions.
Council of Magistracy — On Monday the Prosecutors’ Section of the Superior Council of Magistracy acknowledged the withdrawal of Anca Jurma’s agreement with being delegated to the position of interim chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate- DNA. The justice minister, Tudorel Toader, explained that Anca Jurma no longer wanted to occupy that position, her decision being a strictly personal matter. Her decision was conveyed to the Prosecutors’ Section, whose agenda for Monday’s meeting also included extending Anca Jurma’s mandate at the helm of the DNA for another 6 months. Anca Jurma was appointed for this position by the general prosecutor Augustin Lazar in July 2018 after the dismissal of the chief prosecutor of the DNA, Laura Codruta Kovesi. Previously Anca Jurma had held two mandates as chief of the international cooperation service. Her withdrawal takes place in the context in which the justice minister forwarded again to president Iohannis the proposals for the appointment of 5 prosecutors as chiefs of the prosecutors’ offices. President Iohannis pointed out that the proposals were being analyzed by the line department within the Presidential Administration.
Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (67 WTA) on Monday qualified to the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Hobart, Australia after defeating Heather Watson (44 WTA) of Great Britain 2-0. Also on Monday, in the same competition, another Romanian Ana Bogdan (76 WTA) was eliminated in the first round by Tunisian Ons Jabeur (60 WTA). The world’s no. 1 player Simona Halep is participating in the WTA tournament in Sydney that started on Monday. A Premier category competition the Sydney tournament has total prizes worth 823,000 dollars. Simona Halep will play directly in the second round against the winner of the match pitting Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (22 WTA) against Australian Ashleigh Barty (15 WTA). (translated by L. Simion)
