June 21, 2014 UPDATE
A roundup of news from Romania
România Internațional, 21.06.2014, 12:07
The speaker of the Romanian Senate, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, has called on the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Security and Protection Service to draft a report in which to reveal whether the Romanian president, Traian Basescu, was informed about the illegal activities perpetrated by the person who caused the arrest of his brother. The two special services, Tariceanu said, have legal attributions to make sure that the President of Romania does not come into contact with alleged criminals. The statement was made after Mircea Basescu, the brother of Romania’s president Traian Basescu, was arrested for 30 days, being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for influence peddling. According to prosecutors, Mircea Basescu is supposed to have taken 250 thousand euros worth of bribe to intervene for his relative, Sandu Anghel, known as Bercea Mondial, to get a smaller sentence in an attempted murder trial. Mircea Basescu is supposed to have invoked his influence as a member of the Romanian President’s family to make his promises credible.
The Social Democratic heads of government of several EU countries met Saturday in Paris where they talked about the possibility of setting up an alliance between the Socialists and the European People’s Party, which should support the European Commission. The announcement was made by the Romanian PM, Victor Ponta, who participated in the Paris meeting initiated by the French president, Socialist Francois Hollande. The meeting was meant to harmonize the Social Democratic stands ahead of the Brussels summit to be held next week, when a new president of the European Commission might be nominated, namely Conservative Jean-Claude Juncker.
The Romanian foreign ministry announced on Saturday that there are no Romanian citizens among the flood victims in neighboring Bulgaria. According to a communiqué, the representatives of the Romanian embassy are on the ground keeping permanent contact with the Bulgarian authorities. On Friday the Romanian foreign minister, Titus Corlatean, conveyed condolences to his Bulgarian counterpart, Kristian Vigenin, for the flood victims reported in Bulgaria. Monday was decreed a day of national mourning in Bulgaria in memory of the 13 flood victims who died in the port of Varna. No victims were reported on the Romanian Black Sea Coast on Friday, when a red code alert for flooding was in force.
The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, 3rd seeded in the world classification, will meet the Brazilian Teliana Pereira in the first round of the Wimbledon Grand Slam to kick off on Monday. Following the drawing of lots, Halep, 22, is the 3rd favorite of the competition, after Serena Williams, the leader of the ATP classification, and Russian Maria Sharapova, who defeated Halep in the latest 2 finals in Madrid and Roland Garros. Sorana Cîrstea, seeded 29th in Wimbledon, will play the first match against American Victoria Duval, Alexandra Cadanţu will take on Italian Camila Giorgi, Irina Begu will meet Virginie Razzano from France while Monica Niculescu and Andreea Mitu will meet in the first round Alison Van Uytvanck from Belgium and Agnieszka Radwanska from Poland. In the men’s tournament, Romania’s only representative, Victor Hanescu, will play against Czech Tomas Berdych.
