June 9, 2023
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 09.06.2023, 13:58
STRIKE Disgruntled by the government’s failure to meet their
claims, trade unions in Romania’s education system have today kicked off another
protest in Bucharest. Protests are also taking place in other major cities
across the country. Also today, the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca will
be having a new round of talks with trade union representatives. The government
on Thursday endorsed a memorandum on pay rises granted to the personnel in the
country’s education system under the future salary law – through which the
government guarantees this domain as a priority. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca
has given assurances the salary of the beginner teachers will be based on the
average gross salary as trade unions have requested. The memorandum also mentions
a holiday bonus for the employees according to their salaries as well as other
bonuses. The protesters say though the political statement on Thursday doesn’t
have any legal value, which prompted them to carry on the protests they started
on May 22. They say they don’t trust Romania’s political class as there have
been numerous cases since 2010, when politicians have chosen not to implement
the laws they issued. Field minister
Ligia Deca has announced that applications for the Baccalaureate and the
national assessment exams for 8th graders will be extended until
June 13 and the competency tests from the Baccalaureate exam will take place
over 14 – 23 June.
DIPLOMACY The Russian
Foreign Ministry has deemed a decision by the Romanian authorities to reduce Russia’s
diplomatic presence in Romania as a hostile act, which will not remain
unanswered. Specific measures will be announced in due time, Maria Zakharova,
the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry has said. The Romanian Foreign
Ministry has announced the ambasador of the Russian Federation in Bucharest was
briefed on Thursday upon the decision of the Romanian authorities to reduce the
diplomatic and technical-administrative personnel of the Russian Federation in
Romania by limiting their number to a level close to Romania’s diplomatical
representation in the Russian Federation. Within 30 days, the number of
diplomats must be reduced by 21 and the auxiliary personnel by 30. The measure
has been endorsed according to the 1961 Vienna convention on diplomatic
relations and reflects the present level of the bilateral relations sharply
reduced by Romania after the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Romanian
Foreign Ministry has specified.
TIFF As of today, the city of Cluj in
northwestern Romania, will be the capital of the international cinematography
for the next ten days. The Transylvania Film Festival, known as TIFF, has
kicked off with roughly 200 films to be screened and 12 vying in the official
contest. Famous actors and directors from Romania and abroad, including US
director Oliver Stone, have announced their participation. At TIFF, film goers
will be able to meet Oscar winners or actors who starred in the famous series
‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ or ‘Harry Potter’. Inspired from real events, which
took place in Sibiu, central Romania, back in 1989, ‘Freedom’, the latest film
of Romanian director Tudor Giurgiu will be premiered at TIFF. Romanian actor
Horatiu Malaele, who is going to give a performance at the aforementioned film
festival, will be awarded the excellence award.
WEATHER And now a look at the weather
which is generally unstable in the country’s west, north-west, central regions
as well as in the mountains. The sky is overcast with thunderstorms and heavy
downpours reported in some areas. In the other Romanian regions, the weather is
predominantly warm and even hot with temperatures ranging from 21 to 30 degrees
Celsius and a noon reading in Bucharest of 30 degrees.
(bill)
