March 27, 2015 UPDATE

A look at some of the main stories in Romania today

Newsroom, 27.03.2015, 12:15

On the 8th of April, the Constitutional Court of Romania will rule on an appeal filed by the Anticorruption Directorate against the Senate’s decision to reject its request concerning the arrest and pre-trial detention of the Social Democrat senator Dan Sova. President Klaus Iohannis asked the Constitutional Court to rule on the existence of a constitutional conflict between the judicial and legislative powers. He believes Parliament’s position in cases such as that involving senator Dan Sova has resulted in a constitutional deadlock, preventing the application of judicial procedures and the act of justice. The National Liberal Party in opposition has also appealed the Senate’s decision. On Wednesday, senators rejected a request by the Anticorruption Directorate to lift the immunity of senator and former transport minister Dan Sova, who is accused of complicity in abuse of office as part of an inquiry into the activity of two state-owned energy companies.

The International Monetary Fund has welcomed Romania’s economic recovery and commended the authorities on the reduction of internal and external imbalances. The Fund says Bucharest has pursued significant fiscal consolidation measures and prudent monetary and financial policies. One of Romania’s main creditors, the International Monetary Fund says, however, that despite a substantial deficit reduction, the Romanian economy remains vulnerable to shocks, as non-performing loans, foreign debt and hard currency loans remain at high levels. The IMF Executive Board on Friday published its assessment following consultations with the Romanian authorities earlier this year, in which it urges Romania to maintain a prudent fiscal policy, emphasising the need for stronger public expenditure management and investment project planning, especially when it comes to infrastructure. The Fund’s directors also emphasised the need to restructure and privatise state-owned companies and deregulate the energy market and encouraged continued efforts to increase labour market participation, particularly by the young, low-skilled and women.

The minister for European funds Eugen Teodorovici will take over as finance minister from Darius Valcov, who resigned over corruption allegations and is now in house arrest. The case against Valcov covers his time as mayor of Slatina, in the south. He is accused of taking bribes of 2 million euros to award preferential contracts using public money. The undersecretary of state with the ministry of labour, Marius Nica, will take over the ministry for European funds. The two appointments were approved by president Klaus Iohannis, said prime minister Victor Ponta. The latter also said the bills for the Fiscal Code and the Fiscal Procedure Code are ready to be submitted to Parliament to be debated and voted on.

The minister delegate liasing with the Romanian communities abroad Angel Tilvar donated books in Romanian to the University of Balti, in the north of the Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population. Tilvar travelled to neighbouring Moldova as the speaker of the Moldovan Parliament paid a visit to Bucharest. These high-level Romanian-Moldovan talks are part of the celebration of 97 years since the union of Romania with Bessarabia, the province where part of today’s Republic of Moldova is located.

Romania’s no. 1 and world no. 3 Simona Halep on Friday defeated the Czech player Nicole Vaidisova in the second round of the Miami tennis tournament worth 5.3 million dollars. Last week, Halep won the Indian Wells title, the most important in her career so far. Another Romanian player, Irina Begu, no. 35 in the world, qualified to the third round after defeating Tereza Smitkova, of the Czech Republic.

Romania face The Faeroe Islands on Sunday at home as part of the 2016 European Championship Qualifying Group F. Romania top the group, following 3 wins, against Greece, Finland and Northern Ireland, and a draw against Hungary. In the FIFA World Ranking, Romania occupy the 15th place, the team’s best ranking since September 2008.