October 18, 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 18.10.2019, 14:20
REPATRIATION – The remains of Queen Mother Helen have been brought to Romania today, to be reburied tomorrow in Curtea de Arges, in southern Romania, next to her son, Michael I. The coffin will stay for a while at the Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest, and then carried to Curtea de Arges. Queen Helen, born into the Greek royal family, married prince Charles of Romania, the future King Carol II, but seven years later she divorced him and focused on the education of her son, King Michael I. In January 1948, Queen Helen left Romania for good, together with her son, who was forced by Communists to abdicate. A communiqué issued by the Royal House of Romania reads that, after seven decades, Queen Mother Helen returns to Romania for eternity.
CONSULTATIONS – The Romanian prime-minister designate, the Liberal Ludovic Orban, carries on consultations with the parliamentary parties that supported the no-confidence motion filed against the government, in order to ensure the number of votes he needs for investiture, namely 223 out of a total of 465. So far, talks have been held with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, PRO Romania and Peoples Movement Party. Meetings are scheduled today with representatives of the Save Romania Union. The national minorities have already voiced their support. Until next week, Ludovic Orban must present the structure of the cabinet and the names of the candidates proposed to head the ministries. The Social Democrats have announced they will not go to Parliament to ensure the quorum.
EUROPEAN COUNCIL – The European Council summit continues in Brussels today. After the Brexit deal agreed with the British PM Boris Johnson, the EU leaders are now focusing on budget issues, the relation with Turkey and Unions enlargement. Attending the council, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has voiced discontent over the multiannual financial framework, saying that Romania does not support the budget cuts for the agricultural and cohesion policies. The president elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has been invited today to present the priorities of her 5-year terms. On Thursday, the leaders of the 27 EU member countries approved the new Brexit deal and invited the EC, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to take all the necessary steps in order to make sure the deal comes into force on November 1st, 2019. The declaration adopted at the summit speaks nothing of a potential Brexit postponement beyond October 31st, in case the British legislative rejects the document on Saturday.
ELECTIONS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that an additional list of 55 polling stations abroad has been sent to the Permanent Electoral Authority for Novembers presidential elections. So far, the ministry has proposed the setting up of 832 stations. According to the ministry, the biggest number of stations will be set up in Spain (143), Italy (142), Germany (79), Great Britain (72), France (49), the US (38) and the Republic of Moldova (36). The ministry has also announced that special polling stations will be established for the Romanian military in Afghanistan and also one in Mali, for the soldiers that are taking part in a UN mission in that country.
GUARDIAN 19 – The Romanian frigate King Ferdinand, a Puma Naval helicopter and a Naval Special Operations Force are taking part in a new NATO mission in the Mediterranean. According to a press release by the Romanian Naval Forces, the main goal of the Sea Guardian 19 operation is to deter illegal activities on NATOs and the EUs eastern flank, through sea traffic monitoring activities. As a first, the Romanian Naval Forces, with support from the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry for Romanians Abroad, has invited members of the Romanian communities in Egypt, Israel and Cyprus to visit the frigate, which will make stops in the ports of Alexandria, Haifa and Limassol.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Marius Copil is today playing against the British Andy Murray in the quarter finals of the ATP tournament in Atwerp, Belgium, with some 635.000 dollars in prize money. On Thursday, the Romanian defeated the Argentinean Diego Schwartzman. Murray and Copil have met twice in the ATP circuit, in 2017 in Madrid and in 2018 in Washington, and both matches were won by the British player.
