November 2, 2024
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 02.11.2024, 13:59
AUDITION The European Parliament’s specialized committees on Monday are expected to commence the audition of the designated European Commissioners. On this occasion the MEPs are going to assess the commissioner’s competences, independence and their attachment to European values, essential elements to serve as members of the new European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen. According to the schedule announced by the European Parliament, the auditions are to end on 12 November, a day when the six executive vice-presidents of the future Commission, including Romanian Roxana Mînzatu who holds the portfolio, ‘People, competences, training’, will have to answer a series of questions. The entire European Commission will have to get greenlight from the European Parliament, the vote being scheduled for the plenary session of 25-28 November in Strasbourg. After getting Parliament confirmation, the European Commission will have to be officially appointed by the European Council through voting. The commission must have the yes-votes of 55% of the member states.
FLOOD Rescue teams in Spain are making it to the areas blocked by catastrophic flooding where the death toll has reached 205, including four Romanians. One of the victims has been confirmed by the Romanian authorities while a family with a child has been mentioned by the Spanish press. 16 Romanians are reported missing in Spain and the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest is verifying the information about them. The Romanian Embassy in Madrid and the consulate in Castellon de la Plana are in permanent contact with the Spanish authorities. The region of Valencia, in south-eastern Spain, has been affected by devastating floods, experts have deemed as unprecedented. Spain has declared three days of national mourning.
ELECTION The ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova on Sunday will be seeing the second round of the presidential election. The incumbent pro-European president, Maia Sandu, will be running against the pro-Russian Alexandr Stoianoglo. The first round on October 20 was held concurrently with a referendum on the country’s EU accession and was marked by attempted frauds sponsored by Russia and the runaway oligarch Ilan Şor, who had left the country in an attempt to avoid a prison sentence. The socialist candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo says he wants to put an end to divisions and create an authentic European model, where the state is working for the citizens, and he urged citizens to get united for justice and progress. In another development Maia Sandu accuses Stoianoglo of being Moscow’s puppet and also under the control of oligarch Ilan Şor. The elections in the Republic of Moldova are taking place against the background of a tense election campaign.
WEATHER And now a couple of things about the weather, which is warm for this time of the year in almost the entire territory with isolated showers reported in some regions. The highs of the day are ranging between 12 and 22 degrees Celsius with a noon reading in Bucharest of 18 degrees.
(bill)
