May 20, 2018
Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu pays 2 – day visit to Romania, Winners of the Cannes Festival
Newsroom, 20.05.2018, 13:40
Regional policy – The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu will pay a 2 — day visit to Romania as of Monday to discuss sustainable urban development. On Monday Commissioner Cretu will participate alongside PM Viorica Dancila and the minister for European funds Rovana Plumb in a conference devoted to urban investments hosted by Bacau, in the east. Commissioner Cretu will also visit the astronomic observatory in Bacau that benefited from European funds. On Tuesday Corina Cretu and minister Plumb will participate in a dialogue with the citizens at the Vasile Alecsandri University of Bacau. In a communiqué issued ahead of her visit to Romania, Commissioner Cretu said that more than one billion Euros would be invested in urban development in Romania.
Chisinau — Sunday will see the first round of the early elections for the city halls of Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, and Balti, the second largest city of Moldova, in the north. The seats became vacant after the mayors elected in June 2015, pro-European Liberal Dorin Chirtoaca in Chisinau and pro-Russian populist Renato Usatii from Balti stepped down following criminal prosecution in cases that both labeled as investigations on political command. The early elections are considered a test ahead of the parliamentary elections to be held in autumn. Analysts quoted by Radio Romania’s correspondents to Chisinau say that the vote also has a geopolitical importance, as the situation between the pro-European and the pro-Russian supporters will be clarified. One third of Moldova’s population lives in Chisinau, producing half of the country’s GDP.
Cannes — The Japanese film director Hirokazu Kore-eda won the Palme d’Or trophy of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for his movie Shoplifters. The film has been described as an Oliver Twist of modern times, a story about misfits and crooks. On Saturday American Spike Lee received the Grand Prize for BlacKkKlansman, a pamphlet movie in which the director from Brooklyn denounces racism and far right extremism. The Jury’s prize went to Lebanese Nadine Labaki for the movie Capharnaum, which tells the story of Zain, a 12-year old street child who is fighting with his parents who refuse to send him to school and beat him. The best actress award went to Samal Esljamova, from Kazakhstan for the role of Ayka, while the best actor award was won by Italian Marcello Fonte for his role in Dogman.
Tennis — World’s no. 1 player, Romanian Simona Halep will take on today the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (4 WTA) in the final of the Rome tournament, which has total prizes worth 2.7 million Euros. Last year the final was won by the Ukrainian player. On Saturday, in the semifinals, Halep defeated the Russian Maria Sharapova while Elina Svitolina eliminated Estonian Anett Kontaveit. The winner of the Rome tournament will receive 507 thousand Euros and 900 WTA points. The defeated player will receive about 253 thousand Euros and 585 WTA points.
Justice — Several hundred Romanian magistrates on Saturday protested before the Palace of Justice in Bucharest against the modification of the criminal codes, of the justice laws and against the authorities’ refusal to take into consideration GRECO’s critical report and to wait for the specialist opinion of the Venice Commission. The magistrates adopted a resolution in which they call on the Romanian President, the speakers of the Senate and of the Chamber of Deputies to urgently consult the Venice Commission in relation to certain aspects regarding the modification of Romania’s criminal codes. They also call for the immediate suspension of debates in the special parliamentary committee until the Venice Commission gives its opinion. The magistrates also called on the justice minister to abstain from actions meant to intimidate the prosecutors and which affect the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)
