June 23, 2018
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 23.06.2018, 14:00
PRESIDENTIAL TERM – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has today announced he will run for another presidential term. Iohannis, aged 59, won his first term in November 2014, when he ran on the part of the Christian Liberal Alliance. Since 2000 until 2014 he was the mayor of the city of Sibiu, in central Romania. The next presidential elections in Romania are due in the fall of 2019, and, according to the Romanian Constitution, the maxim number of presidential terms a person may hold is two.
SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY – The Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, will keep supporting its president Liviu Dragnea, in all the offices he is holding, both as leader of the party and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, after he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for instigation to abuse of power. Liviu Dragnea has stated he will fulfill the objectives he has set, including the implementation of the governing program. The opposition has criticized the decision of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party. The president of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban has stated that the Liberals will try to convince as many MPs of the majority to endorse the no-confidence motion. On Monday, the motion filed by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party will be read in plenary parliamentary session and on Wednesday it will be debated and voted.
VENICE COMMISSION – Representatives of the Romanian Presidential Administration, Parliament and Justice Ministry have attended in Venice the plenary session of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, also known as the Venice Commission. One of the main topics on the meetings agenda was the modifications brought to the justice laws in Romania. The Presidential Adviser Bogdan Dima has stated that the legislative package has lots of deficiencies and the content can and should be substantially improved. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidency, President Klaus Iohannis believes that the adoption of an interim opinion of the Venice Commission is extremely important for the entire justice system in Romania. The Chairman of the Parliamentary committee in charge with the justice laws, Florin Iordache, attended the proceedings as well, and has stated that the recommendations made by the Venice Commission are extremely important to Romania. He has also stated that the three justice laws are in line with the standards set by the Commission. The modifications brought to the justice laws by the coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have been criticized by the right-wing opposition, magistrates associations and many civil society representatives.
TRANSDIESTR – The UN General Assembly has adopted the draft resolution proposed by Chisinau, alongside other 10 countries, including Romania, which calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition from the Transdiestr region of the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbor with a predominantly Romanian – speaking population. The project was approved with 64 votes for, 15 against and 83 abstentions. The Russian Federation delegation voted against and have stated that the document will undermine negotiations on the Transdniestr issue. The Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip has hailed the document, just like the Romanian Foreign Ministry. There are some 1000 Russian soldiers from the former 14th Soviet Army deployed in Transdniestr, who are guarding armament and ammunition warehouses, as well as 500 soldiers from the peace forces deployed in the security zone along Dniestr. There are also troops subordinated to the separatist regime in Tiraspol, accounting for some 15,000 soldiers. Transdniestr went out of Chisinaus authority in 1992, after an armed conflict.
