March 3, 2018 UPDATE

Romania to mark 41 years since the devastating earthquake of March 4, 1977

Newsroom, 03.03.2018, 19:32

ELECTION – Over 51 million Italians are expected to cast their votes in Sunday’s general elections. The election campaign was feverish, with heated debates over immigration, security and the country’s struggling economy. Opinion polls have been banned in the past two weeks but analysts believe no party will manage to secure majority. Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza Italia, that seems to have made a comeback in people’s preferences, the anti-establishment party Five Star Movement and the centre-left Democratic Party, who led the ruling coalition from 2013 to 2018 are the main contenders.

COMMEMORATION — On Sunday Romania marks 41 years since the devastating earthquake of March 4, 1977, the most powerful that has ever hit Romania. Measuring 7.2 degrees on Richters scale, the earthquake killed 1,570 people, most of them in the capital Bucharest, and caused damages worth over $2 billion. Around 230,000 homes were destroyed or seriously damaged and 760 economic facilities became inoperative. The earthquake generated a severe economic and social crisis, which historians say the communist authorities never fully overcame before their demise in 1989. Specialists warn that hundreds of buildings in Bucharest are at risk in case of a powerful earthquake.

CONSULTATIONS – Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, has announced that the first stage of public consultations on the topics of interest for Romania’s EU Council Presidency has been completed. According to Negrescu, 500 relevant actors participated in the debates, in a bid to contribute to the preparation of a highly important project for the whole society and came up with a lot of constructive ideas that are to be analysed, in the upcoming period, by the public system representatives. Romania will hold the EU Council Presidency between January 1 and June 30, 2019.

MIGRANTS — Almost 3 thousand illegal migrants were caught at Romania’s western border in 2017. Most of them were from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya. The migrants used several methods to get to the border, such as telephone apps to find the shortest route, or the guidance of other people. In most cases, the ones who guided the illegal migrants to the border were legal migrants who have been living in Romania for a long time.

ARMY – Romania’s Defense Minister Mihai Fifor, has announced that around 64 hundred people will be employed in the army, among whom soldiers, physicians and psychologists. Romania, Minister Fifor has said, needs to strengthen its military capabilities in order to continue to be the most important security supplier in the Black Sea. In this context, Mihai Fifor has announced that the procedure for the construction of four multifunctional corvettes has been launched. The minister also said that the winner of the auction would have to build all four corvettes in a Romanian shipyard.

FLU — The number of people who died of flu in Romania since the beginning of the cold season has reached 72, with three more deaths being reported recently. Almost all victims were also suffering from chronic diseases and had not been immunized. Over 800 people are currently being treated for flu. Most of them are in the capital Bucharest, but also in counties like Constanta, Olt, Brasov and Iasi. Health Minister Sorina Pintea says that for the time being we cannot speak about flu epidemic in Romania.

RUGBY — Romania’s national rugby team defeated Russia on Saturday on home turf, 25-15. The match counts towards the third round of the 2018 Rugby Europe International Championship. After losing to Spain in the previous match, Romania needed this win to keep alive its chances of qualifying to the 2019 World Rugby Cup hosted by Japan. The Romanians will also play against Belgium and Georgia on March 10th and 18th respectively.

TENNIS — The Romanian-Dutch team Horia Tecau /Jean Julien Rojer won the doubles’ final of the ATP tournament in Dubai after defeating on Saturday the team made up of Jamie Cerretani of the US and Leander Paes of India, 6-2, 7-6 (2). This is the second consecutive title in Dubai for Tecau and Rojer, seeded 2nd in the competition. For the Romanian tennis player this has been the 52nd doubles’ final of his career, of which he won 34 and lost 18. (Translated by Elena Enache)