June 20, 2017
The political crisis in Bucharest continues / President Iohannis receives Dresden Medal of St. George
Newsroom, 20.06.2017, 13:41
VISIT – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has today received the Dresden Medal of St. George of the Semper Opera Ball, at the Romanian Embassy in Berlin. The President has said, upon receiving the medal, that he dedicates it to the Romanian-German friendship. Iohanis has also reiterated Romania’s commitment to the future European project. “Europe means democracy, pluralism, tolerance and diversity. The EU means freedom and responsibility”, the President has concluded. Later today Klaus Iohannis is attending in Berlin a ceremony commemorating the victims of refuge and expulsion hosted by the German History Museum. Iohannis will deliver a speech on this occasion. On Monday, Iohannis held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and his counterpart Frank Walter Steinmeier.
REFUGEES – A record 65.6 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes owing to conflict or persecution by the end of 2016, the United Nations announced. According to a report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the record number includes 22.5 million refugees, 40.3 million internally displaced people and 2.8 million asylum seekers. Syrias six-year conflict alone has sent more than 5.5 million people seeking safety in other countries, including 825,000 last year alone, accounting for the worlds largest group of refugees. The report was made public on the occasion of the World Refugee Day, marked today. In Romania, as of 1991 up to present about 27 thousand people applied for a form of protection. Of them almost 5 thousand were granted the status of refugee or subsidiary protection. Since the start of the year 1,700 asylum applications have been submitted. Most asylum seekers come from Syria, Iraq and Pakistan.
POLITICAL CRISIS – The political crisis in Bucharest continues, a day before the no confidence vote in Parliament. The coalition in power in Romania made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats tabled a motion of no confidence in their own Government. The motion will be discussed and voted on this Wednesday, and at least 233 votes are required in order for it to pass. According to the ruling coalition leaders Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu, the replacement of the executive team was necessary, given the delays in implementing the governing programme. The criticism is dismissed by the Prime Minister, who says 6 months is not enough time to implement large-scale reforms.
BREXIT – The European Union and the UK on Monday launched Brexit talks, which will last less than two years and which will allow a country to leave the community bloc, for the first time ever. Chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Davis have set up three working groups, established a meeting timetable, and identified the main priorities during the negotiation process. According to the EU treaties, the two sides have until March 29, 2019, to reach an accord on an array of deeply complex issues, including citizens’ rights, the UK’s financial obligations to the EU, and border and customs controls.
COURT — The High Court in Bucharest is today setting new court appearance dates in the cases involving the Chamber of Deputies Speaker Liviu Dragnea, former PM Victor Ponta and former deputy PM and interior Minister Gabriel Oprea. The Social Democrat Liviu Dragnea is accused of instigation to abuse of office. Gabriel Oprea is also accused of abuse of office for having used public funds illegally. Also, former PM Victor Ponta is accused of forgery, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering, in a case also involving the former minister of transport, the Social Democrat senator Dan Sova.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
