May 19, 2014 UPDATE
A look at the main stories in Romania today.
România Internațional, 19.05.2014, 12:00
The Romanian authorities are on alert due to the risk of flooding on the Danube as a result of torrential rains in the Western Balkans. Yellow and orange code alerts are in place on several sections of the river, whose waters have already reached flood levels at five hydrometric stations. Boats and vessels are under speed restrictions to prevent waves which can damage dams, hydro-technical structures and other vessels. Experts say there is no major threat for the population at the moment. In another development, prime minister Victor Ponta said Romania would send aid to Serbia and Bosnia, which have seen the most severe floods in the last 120 years.
US Vice President Joe Biden comes to Romania on an official visit on Tuesday and Wednesday, as announced by the Romanian presidency. Joe Biden will be discussing the Ukrainian crisis with President Traian Basescu and prime minister Victor Ponta. The sides will also be reviewing issues such as the rule of law and justice, but also European energy security. The visit is meant to highlight how committed the US is to supporting its NATO allies in Eastern Europe, including the willingness to respond in force to an attack against any member. Last week, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, also on a visit to Bucharest, said that Romania, as a member of NATO, is not alone in the face of regional threats.
In Romania, the election campaign for the European Parliament elections of 25th May is in its last week. 15 political groups and eight independent candidates are competing for the 32 seats Romania is entitled to out of the 751 seats in the European Parliament. For the first time, the new European Parliament will elect the head of the European Commission. The predominant issues in this campaign are jobs, migration, European foreign affairs, climate change and energy issues.
A motion of no-confidence filed by the Liberal opposition in Romania last week will be read on Thursday and debated next Monday in Parliament, said the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Valeriu Zgonea. In the motion, the National Liberal Party accuses the government of failing to respect its promise not to tax reinvested profit and cut social security contributions by 5%. On the other hand, the minister delegate for budget, Liviu Voinea, said the 5% reduction in social security contributions would be applied as of July 1st.
Bucharest will continue to support Chisinau by means of concrete projects showing the citizens of the majority Romanian speaking Republic of Moldova that embarking on a European path will generate prosperity and new opportunities. This statement was made on Monday in Chisinau by the high representative of the Romanian government for economic, strategic and public diplomacy projects, Mircea Geoana, during a meeting with Moldova’s prime minister, Iurie Leanca.
In the former detention centre in Sighetu Marmatiei in northern Romania events continued on Monday around the commemoration of 70 years since the deportation of northern Romanian Jews to Nazi death camps. The events include exhibitions, concerts and seminars, and visits to local born Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel’s memorial house, as well as a silent march through the town.
The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has climbed for the first time to the fourth place in the WTA rankings, the highest position ever held by a Romanian player. Last week, Halep had to abandon the competition in the third round in Rome, where she was playing after the finals in Madrid. She is the fastest climber in the rankings in 2013, and since May 2013 she has won seven WTA tournaments. She is joined in the top 100 WTA players by four other Romanians.
