June 24, 2017
Political consultations in Bucharest/ President Iohannis attended Brussels summit/ Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse
Newsroom, 24.06.2017, 14:02
Political consultations — In Romania, parliamentary parties are finalizing their strategy ahead of the consultations they will have Monday with President Klaus Iohannis on the formation of a new government. The leftist government led by Sorin Grindeanu was removed following a no confidence motion filed by the very coalition that supported it after the December 2016 elections. The coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats claims they still hold the parliamentary majority and that Monday they will come up with a new proposal for prime minister. The center- right opposition made up of the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party rule out any collaboration with the Social Democrats while the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania have not made a decision yet.
Iohannis in Brussels — The future Romanian government will have to obtain an agreement for the relocation of the European Medicines Agency from Great Britain to Romania after Brexit. Romania is running in this relocation competition alongside Sweden, France, Denmark, Hungary and Bulgaria, states that have already submitted offers, said President Klaus Iohannis at the end of the European Council summit in Brussels. The Romanian president also said the that future executive will have to boost the defense industry because it will be able to access resources made available through the European Defence Fund. President Iohannis asked the participants in the European Council meeting that the new internal security instruments should be unitarily applied at EU level, without differences between the Schengen states and countries like Romania, that are not members but apply the Schengen regulations to a large extent. The Schengen issue was also approached during the talks Klaus Iohannis held with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron who has shown openness as regards Romania’s prospects of joining the Schengen space. According to Klaus Iohannis Romania is not likely to report significant progress in this regard before the elections in Germany and the appointment of a new government in the Netherlands. As regards the situation of Romanians in the UK after Brexit, Klaus Iohannis said the statements of the British PM, Theresa May, regarding the European residents’ staying in the UK, were promising, but that he expected that concrete documents in this regard should be passed.
Bad weather — Rainfalls and strong winds reported on Friday in Romania have affected electric energy supply to 129 localities in the northern half of Romania, the Romanian Interior ministry informed. Roofs were damaged and power and telecommunications poles and trees were felled by the storm. According to the Interior Ministry road, rail, sea and river traffic is running normally, no restrictions have been reported for air traffic or in the border-crossing points.
The Romanian Blouse — Each year on June 24 the world marks the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse, an iconic piece of the Romanian national traditional costume and an international symbol of Romanian culture. On January 21, 2013 the online community entitled “La Blouse Roumaine” proposed that June 24 should become the Romanian Blouse Day. On the same year, on June 24, which in the Christian calendar marks Sanziene (Midsummer) or St John’s day, the on-line community “La Blouse Roumaine” organized the first Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse, which has become a global event marked in more than 50 countries. Traditional exhibitions and fairs focusing on the Romanian Blouse are being held today in Romania as well as in Berlin, Budapest, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome and Washington. (translation by Lacramioara Simion)
