May 11, 2025 UPDATE (1)
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 11.05.2025, 16:53
LEGISLATION – The law that changes the retirement conditions for magistrates is on the agenda of the Parliament in Bucharest next week. Debates on the legislative initiative undertaken by PSD, PNL and UDMR will take place in the Senate. In the form approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the proposal that judges and prosecutors should cease their activity upon reaching the age of 65 is supposed to take effect at the start of 2026 instead of a space-out schedule, until 2045, as the document originally stipulated. The Superior Council of Magistracy criticizes the project, claiming it is violating the principle of judicial independence. Also in the Senate, members of the Health Committee are expected to debate the proposal that brings amendments to the law on the exercise of the profession of dietitian. Also, at the Chamber of Deputies, plenary discussions on the healthcare system and investments in the healthcare system are scheduled for Monday with the participation of Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, at the request of the USR parliamentary group in opposition.
WAR IN UKRAINE – Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready for talks with Russia if Moscow commits to observing a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday. Zelenskyy thus responded to Vladimir Putin’s offer to start direct talks with Ukraine on May 15, possibly in Istanbul. The Kyiv leader says it is a good sign that the Russians are starting to consider ending the war, but that the first step towards the real end of any war is a ceasefire. “There is no point for people to keep dying even one more day. We expect Russia to confirm a complete, lasting and reliable ceasefire starting tomorrow, which Ukraine is ready to observe”, Zelenskyy wrote on social media. Putin proposed direct and unconditional negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on Saturday. He did not rule out the possibility of a ceasefire, but stressed that talks should focus on the root causes of the conflict. European leaders, meeting in Kyiv on Saturday, threatened Russia with tougher sanctions if it did not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire by Sunday. French President Emmanuel Macron said Putin’s offer was insufficient and that Russia was trying to buy time, but US president Donald Trump reacted with optimism and suggested, again, that the war was close to an end.
CELEBRATION – In Romania, May 11 marks Folk Costume Day, a holiday dedicated to one of the most authentic and profound expressions of national identity. In a press release, the Romanian Culture Ministry emphasizes that it supports and encourages the preservation and promotion of this invaluable heritage by funding cultural projects devoted to traditional costumes, collaborations with folk craftsmen, exhibitions, ethnographic research and educational initiatives. We recall that the Romanian Traditional Blouse, locally known as “ie”, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and is celebrated on June 24. (VP)
