November 6, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 06.11.2024, 19:48
US elections. Donald Trump is the virtual winner of the US presidential, with TV networks in the US projecting him to win 276 electors, 6 more than the required majority of 270. Based on the indirect election system, the elections are won by the candidate who secures the majority of the 538 electors, distributed among the states according to the size of their population. The Republican candidate also won the popular vote with 51%, while the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris won 47% of the votes and 219 electors. While final results may take a few days, Donald Trump has declared victory at his campaign headquarters in Florida. He thanked his voters and said American gave him un unprecedented strong mandate, thus referring to the good results obtained by the Republicans in the US Congress. He promised to focus in this term in office on people’s safety, prosperity and healthcare. Kamala Harris is expected to speak in public tomorrow. Politicians and leaders from around the world have congratulated Trump, including from Bucharest. In a message posted on X, president Klaus Iohannis said Romania is a strong and committed ally of the United States and hoped that joint efforts would bring peace and prosperity for both countries, as well as others. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu and senate speaker Nicolae Ciucă also congratulated Trump and said Romania is ready to work with the United States to consolidate the strategic partnership between the two states.
US Senate. Republicans appear to have gained control of the US Senate, previously held by the Democrats, with a majority of at least 51 seats out of 100, according to projections. The US Senate has 100 seats (2 for each US state) and 34 members are replaced following the vote organised concurrently with the November 5 presidential election. In the House of Representatives, neither party seems to have a decisive advantage. The control of the two chambers of the US Congress is a major stake, as the room for maneuver of the country’s president depends largely on the laws they are able to get passed in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both vote on federal laws, but the Senate also has important exclusive powers, especially in the appointment or removal of key government members or in the confirmation of federal magistrates.
Romania-Serbia. The European path is worth “every effort”, and Romania can provide Serbia with its “full support” and expertise with regard to EU accession, said foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu in a joint press conference with her Serbian counterpart Marko Duric, who was on a trip to Bucharest. Odobescu reiterated that Romania saw the Western Balkans are an important strategic region. Speaking about the bilateral economic ties, she said there is still untapped potential, adding that interconnection is the key word, with one good example in the field of energy infrastructure being the signing of a memorandum on the implementation of a natural gas project. The Serbian minister Marko Duric said that for his country, EU accession is a basic priority. The two officials signed a memorandum of understanding between their diplomatic institutes.
Floods. Another person missing in the recent floods in Spain has been found dead. The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to the information sent by the Spanish authorities, up to this moment 2 Romanian citizens are dead and 7 are still missing. The Romanian embassy in Madrid and the consular office in Castellón de la Plana are checking public information regarding the death of some other Romanian citizens, but no official confirmations have been received so far. Meanwhile, the Spanish government has declared a state of natural disaster in the affected areas and has pledged to cover 100% of the urgent expenses of the affected municipalities. A first emergency plan worth over 10 billion euros was adopted.
EU Commissioner. The Social Democrat Roxana Mînzatu, Romania’s nomination for vice-president of the new European Commission, received a positive review from the specialist committees of the Romanian parliament. Next week, she will also be heard in the committees of the European Parliament. In addition to the position of vice-president, the Romanian commissioner will also serve as Commissioner for People, Skills and Preparedness.
