June 27, 2015
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Roxana Vasile, 27.06.2015, 12:00
The ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova is getting ready for the second round of its local election, due on Sunday in 459 towns and villages across the country. All eyes are focused on the race for the mayor seat of capital city Chisinau with two candidates vying; incumbent pro-Western mayor Dorin Chirtoaca and the former pro-Russian comunist mayor Zinaida Greaceanii. In 439 of the Republic of Moldova’s towns and villages, mayors got elected in the very first round of voting on June 14th. The polls have confirmed the voters’ preferences for the pro-western coalition made up of the Liberal-Democrats and the Democrats, who emerged as winners in about two thirds of the local administrations as well as a setback for the pro-Russian, communist & socialist alliance.
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has voiced his deep regret for the victims of the attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait on Friday, adding that Romania joins other countries in the fight against terrorism. ‘These attacks show that terrorism is a real threat agianst which we should remain firm and united, the Romanian president went on to say adding that Romania would continue to get involved in fighting this scourge. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has lashed out at the attacks, which prove the need for stepping up global efforts against terror. We recall that over 60 people have lost their lives in the latest wave of attacks. Roughly 40 percent of them were British, German, Belgian and French tourists spending their holiday in a Tunisian resort, when a gunman opened fire on a beach. According to the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest no Romanian was killed in the attack. Another 25 people have lost their lives in a suicide bombing in a Shia mosque in Kuwait’s capital city, an attack claimed by the Islamic State.
Romanian Catalin Lozici has won a contest for the logo of the new North-Atlantic Alliance’s headquarters. His project has been selected together with that of a Dutch drawer, a Romanian TV channel reports. Other two Romanians have received mentions: Adinel Chirita for popularity and Sebastian Popa for concept. Two months ago NATO launched a new logo design contest on Facebook. The construction of the Alliance’s new building kicked off in 2010, and the costs of the project stay at around 750 million euros.
Romania has taken major steps in certain fields of activity and has a solid macroeconomic situation, but it didn’t implement enough of the policies agreed upon with the European executive, particularly in the fiscal field, a communiqué issued by the European Commission at the end of its 10 day mission to Bucharest reads. Bucharest has to maintain the progress it made in the current programme with Brussels, as this is the foundation for the continuation of a steady and balanced growth. We recall the Commission representatives didn’t reach an agreement with the authorities in Bucharest. The main issue was the new Fiscal Code, which has as the main measure a cut in the VAT from 24 to 19%. Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici admitted the fiscal relaxation envisaged by the new code would cause, as international lenders believe, a temporary swollen budget deficit, but the Romanian official says the deficit will stay under 3% of the GDP.
Romania went up to the 16th position in the medal standings at the European Games in Baku, Azerbaidjan, after 15 days of competitions. Athletes from Romania reaped three gold medals, five of silver and four of bronze. On Friday, Romania reaped two gold medals through its women’s epee squad and silver, won by its men’s sabre team. Ana Maria Branza, also from the Romanian delegation won gold in the individual sabre contest, and judoka Andreea Chitu has also stepped onto the first step of the podium. Russia ranks first in the medals’ standings, followed by Azerbaijan and Britain.
