May 2, 2023
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 02.05.2023, 13:50
Anti-Semitism. The fourth meeting of the Working Group for the implementation of the European Union strategy on combating anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life begins today in Bucharest. Over 80 national and European officials, as well as representatives of Jewish communities and international organizations from EU member states, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova will debate, for three days, topics of interest such as the development and implementation of national strategies in the field, the progress made in the implementation of the European strategy on fighting anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life or the dangers posed by anti-Semitism. The Romanian government has stated that the organization of this meeting in Bucharest represents, among other things, a good opportunity to highlight the progress that Romania has made in this field. 2 years ago, the European Union adopted the first strategy on combating anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life for the 2021-2030 timeframe. The strategy aims to prevent and combat all forms of anti-Semitism, to protect and promote Jewish life, education, research and the memory of the Holocaust.
Green energy. The 2023 stage of the “Photovoltaic green house” program has started in Romania. As of May 2, companies and individuals who install such alternative green energy systems can register for this program. Afterwards, the procedures will begin for the people who want to benefit from the 20 thousand lei (4 thousand euros) from the State budget for the installation of photovoltaic panels. Especially after the increase in electricity and natural gas prices, in Romania the demand for solar panels has rocketed.
Visit. The Romanian Minister of National Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, is paying a formal two-day visit to the neighboring Republic of Moldova. The agenda of the first day of the visit includes meetings with President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean and with Igor Grosu, the president of the Moldovan Parliament. The Wednesday agenda of the foreign ministry delegation includes a visit to the headquarters of the 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade in the municipality of Bălţi (north).
Ukraine. 20,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since December 2022, and another 80,000 have been wounded, according to the White House spokesperson for national security, John Kirby, quoted by the BBC. He stated that the biggest Russian losses were recorded in the battle for the city of Bakhmut. He also said that the Russian offensive in Donbas has exhausted the Kremlins military stocks and armed forces. In turn, the Ukrainian forces have reported that 460 Russian invaders have been neutralized in the last 24 hours. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the number of Russian army soldiers killed on the front, since the beginning of the war on February 24, 2022, has exceeded 190,000.
Education. Deputies from the Romanian Parliaments Education Committee are resuming debates on the education bills today. The deadline for the adoption of the bills, originally set for April 26, has already been extended and, although the documents are under emergency procedure, the discussions have been suspended several times in order to request points of view from other institutions. The debates on the pre-university education bill have been completed though, and important changes have been made regarding admission to high school or the baccalaureate exam, but also regarding sanctions for disciplinary violations. At the same time, the members of the Specialized Committee adopted several amendments to the new higher education law and will consider finalizing the report this week. The two bills will then be submitted to the plenary vote of the Chamber of Deputies and, subsequently, to the Senate, which is the decision-making body in this matter.
Protest. The Federation of Trade Unions from the National Administration of Penitentiaries in Romania has announced that it is considering starting protest actions, for an indefinite period, this month, as a result of information appearing in the public space related to salary cuts and layoffs. The organization draws the attention of the Social Democrats and Liberals, the main political party that make up the current governing coalition, that cutting the salaries of state employees, including the police, military and penitentiary police, and laying off budget officers means electoral suicide for them. Unions in penitentiaries urge the government to increase the level of tax collection, to declare war on the underground economy, to attract foreign investment and to materialize the reforms and investments included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Tennis. Today, the Romanian tennis player Irina Begu takes on Maria Sakkari of Greece, in the quarter-finals of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Madrid, with more than 7.7 million euros in prize money. Previously, the Romanian has defeated the Russian athlete Liudmila Samsonova. Begu has not lost a single set at the current edition of the Spanish tournament. Thanks to the results in Madrid, she became, this week, the best-ranked Romanian player, surpassing Simona Halep, which is currently suspended for doping. (MI)
