July 29, 2014
A look at some of the main stories in Romania today.
România Internațional, 29.07.2014, 12:00
Ethnic Romanians in western Ukraine threaten to block again the roads around Cernauti and continue protests until they receive written guarantees they will not be sent to fight against the pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country. They first took to the streets last week after hundreds of ethnic Romanians in the region, both young men and women with medical background, received conscription orders. The foreign ministry in Bucharest says it is keeping a close eye on the situation, which is of great concern for public opinion in Romania. The Romanian side believes conscription should not be selective and discriminatory on ethnic grounds. Numbering around half a million people, the Romanian community in neighbouring Ukraine is concentrated in the western part of the country, in the territory annexed by the former USSR in 1940 which was later taken over by Ukraine in 1991 as a successor state.
Romania has improved its legal framework and its ability to freeze and seize illegal assets, according to a Council of Europe report published in Strasbourg. The document also writes that the number of investigations, indictments and convictions for money laundering activities has increased in Romania in recent years. The report points out, however, that the competent authorities should be more efficient in their financial inquiries and the investigation of the criminal activities generating illegal profits. Romania’s underground economy is estimated at 30% of the GDP per year, which accounts for 40 billion euros worth of losses. Experts say the situation is made worse by the fact that Romania lies on the EU’s eastern border and has land, river and sea borders with three non-EU states — Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia.
Romania’s Social Democrat prime minister Victor Ponta is today making an official statement regarding his intention to run for president in the November elections. The Social Democratic Party’s National Council will officially endorse his candidacy, following similar endorsements from the Social Democrats’ junior government partners, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Conservative Party. Ponta is the favourite to win the elections in opinion polls. His most likely rival is the Sibiu mayor Klaus Iohannis, who is expected to become the candidate of the recently created Christian Liberal Alliance, in opposition. Other presidential candidates are the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, and the former foreign and justice minister Cristian Diaconescu, on behalf of the People’s Movement Party, in opposition.
The European Commission has proposed the doubling of quota for Moldovan duty-free exports of apples, plums and grapes to the European Union, according to the EU commissioner for agriculture and rural development, Dacian Ciolos. He says this proves the Union’s solidarity with Moldovan producers, who requested help to compensate for the losses caused by Russia’s ban on imports of fruit and vegetable from Moldova. Moscow’s decision came after Moldovan authorities signed an association and free trade agreement with the European Union in June.
Events and military ceremonies are staged across the country today to celebrate the National Anthem Day. Romania’s national anthem, entitled “Wake up, Romanians”, has been in use since December 1989, following the collapse of the communist regime. Its music was written by Anton Pann and its lyrics by Andrei Muresanu and it was first used in mid 19th century during the 1848 Revolution.
Romania’s football champions Steaua Bucharest are in Kazakhstan for the first leg in the Champions League third preliminary round against the local side FK Aktobe. In the Europa League, the continent’s other club competition, Romania is represented by three teams, who will also be playing their first games in the third preliminary round on Thursday: the holder of the Romanian Cup trophy — Astra Giurgiu, Petrolul Ploiesti and CFR Cluj.
