May 24, 2023

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 24.05.2023, 13:55

Talks.
The president of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier today begins a 3-day visit to
Romania at the invitation of his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis. The two
presidents are due to hold one-on-one official talks focused on developing
political, security and economic cooperation and are also expected to convey a
message of solidarity with and support for Ukraine and support for the Republic
of Moldova, both of which are neighbours of Romania. On Thursday, presidents
Iohannis and Steinmeier are to travel to Sibiu for talks with the leaders of
the German ethnic community in Romania, of which president Iohannis is also a
member, and visits to the Samuel von Brukenthal National College and the
fortified evangelical church in the village of Cristian. The German president
will end his visit to Romania on Friday in Timişoara, where he will attend a
concert by the city’s Philharmonic Orchestra, meet the German-born mayor of the city Dominic
Fritz and visit the Nikolaus Lenau High School, where he will meet representatives
of the German and Jewish ethnic minorities.

Ruling.
Romania must adopt the necessary legislation to recognise same-sex couples. The
European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday ruled against Romania for the latter’s
failure to legally recognise same-sex union, following collective action
brought four years ago by 21 same-sex families. Romania, which decriminalised
homosexuality in 2011, decades later after other EU countries, still does not
recognise marriage or civil partnership between same-sex persons. A number of
legislative proposals to amend civil partnership legislation to include
same-sex couples have failed in recent years. A referendum on amending the country’s
Constitution to prevent same-sex persons from obtaining the right to get
married did not draw enough voters in 2018. A poll conducted in 2021 showed
that 71% of Romanians believe the recognition of civil partnership for same-sex
couples would not have an impact on their lives, with 43% saying it would.

Book fair. The Bookfest
International Book Fair got under way in Bucharest in the presence of the
Romanian minister for culture Lucian Romaşcanu and Italy’s ambassador to
Romania Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni. Italy is the fair’s guest country this year. More than 200
exhibitors from around the country and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova,
alongside foreign cultural institutes will be present every day until Sunday,
according to the Book Publishers’ Association in Romania, the organiser of the
event. Twelve Italian writers are taking part in book presentations and
debates, almost half of them having already had their works translated into Romanian.
A project co-funded by the ministry of culture, Bookfest also travels to Timişoara,
Cluj-Napoca, Târgu Mureş, Braşov and Chişinău

Football. Trophy holders Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe
are tonight playing the Romanian football cup final against Universitatea Clujin
Sibiu, on neutral turf. The winner will vie for the Romanian Supercup title on
8th July against Farul Constanta, last Sunday’s winner of the
Superleague championship title. (CM)