October 8, 2018
The 2018 edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities kicks off in Brussels
Newsroom, 08.10.2018, 13:08
FAMILY REFERENDUM — Almost 21% of the Romanians this past weekend cast their votes on a proposed redefinition of the concept of family in the Constitution. The initiators aimed to define “family” as an institution based on the marriage of a man and a woman, rather than the marriage of spouses, as it is at present. According to data released by the Central Electoral Bureau on Monday morning, after more than 98% of the votes were counted, the voter turnout was insufficient for the referendum to be validated. To pass, a referendum needs a 30% voter turnout threshold while 25% of votes cast have to be valid. We recall that Parliament passed a bill rephrasing the Constitutional definition of marriage, based on a citizen initiative signed by 3 million people.
INTERVIEW — Prosecutor Adina Florea, proposed by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader as the new head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), is today being interviewed by the prosecutor section with the Higher Magistracy Council, whose, opinion is consultative. The interview, initially scheduled on September 27, has been postponed. The position of chief-prosecutor of the DNA became vacant in July, after Laura Codruta Kovesi was revoked by President Klaus Iohannis in keeping with a Constitutional Court ruling in this respect.
MOTION – The Chamber of Deputies is today debating a simple motion filed by the National Liberal Party in opposition against Economy Minister Danut Andrusca. The Liberals accuse Andrusca of deliberately destabilizing the countrys economy. The Chamber had voted against a simple motion the Liberals filed against Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, whom they accuse of failing to implement the taxing and budget strategy. The opposition also calls for the elimination of the additional excise tax on fuel, the start of major investment projects and the allotment of 100% of tax revenues to local administration starting next year.
EUROPEAN WEEK OF REGIONS – The 2018 edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities kicks off today in Brussels, in the presence of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, the European Committee of the Regions president, Karl-Heinz Lambertsz and European Parliament vice-president, Pavel Telicka. This years edition is a special one, devoted to the European Commissions cohesion policy proposal for the 2021-2027 period. Decision-makers and local, regional, national and European experts will take part in a series of debates as part of the most important event devoted to cohesion policies at European level.
HEARING – The High Court of Cassation and Justice has today postponed for November 5th the first hearing in the case where Social-Democrat leader and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Liviu Dragnea was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment in the court of first instance. In June, the Court handed Dragnea the sentence for instigation to abuse of office. Anticorruption prosecutors say Liviu Dragnea ordered the fictitious employment of two party members at the Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate. The two were paid with taxpayer money, although they allegedly worked exclusively for the Social-Democratic Party. Liviu Dragnea denied the accusations. In 2016, Dragnea was handed a 2-year suspended prison sentence for attempted election fraud. This summer the High Court cancelled the ruling to suspend the prison sentence.
