September 30, 2021 UPDATE
A news update
Newsroom, 30.09.2021, 20:21
Covid– In Romania, the number of new Covid-19 cases exceeded 12,000 on Thursday. In the last 24 hours, 176 Covid- related deaths were registered. 1,364 patients are in a serious condition in ICUs, and medical units are looking for solutions to manage the large number of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Two hospitals in Bucharest have started to discharge patients who can continue their treatment at home and to transfer those who still need medical care, so as to become medical units dealing exclusively with COVID cases. On the other hand, the vaccination rate has increased recently. In Romania, only one 3rd of the eligible population has been vaccinated against Covid – 19.
Motion — The censure motion filed by Social Democratic Party – PSD, the main opposition party in Romania, against the Government made up of the National Liberal Party — PNL and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR led by the liberal Florin Cîţu, was read, on Thursday, in the plenum of Parliament. The document is signed by 157 MPs and states that the only solution for Romania to overcome a continuous political, economic and social crisis is for the Cîţu government to leave. The PSD motion shows that the government has failed to attract European funds, the Romanian companies are doomed to bankruptcy, and the local communities are underdeveloped. The Social Democrats also say that the solution at this moment is holding snap elections. 234 votes are needed for the government to be ousted. Save Romanian Union – USR-PLUS Alliance, until recently the governing partner of the Liberals, and the ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR in opposition say they will vote for the PSD motion. There is another censure motion in Parliament against the current Cabinet, submitted by USR-Plus and AUR. Prime Minister Florin Cîțu announced that the Liberal Party has formed negotiation teams that will try to obtain the rejection of the motion. The vote on the motion will take place on Tuesday.
Exhibition — The exhibition Archaeological treasures from Romania. Dacian and Roman roots is an exceptional tool for promoting Romanian culture and civilization in the Spanish space, eloquently highlighting the strong ties between the two peoples, formed on the basis of the Roman civilization, said on Thursday in Madrid, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu. He inaugurated the exhibition together with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, at the National Archeology Museum. The event was also attended by Bogdan Gheorghiu, the Romanian Minister of Culture and Miquel Iceta, the Spanish Minister of Culture. The exhibition held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and of King Felipe VI of Spain, brings together 838 exceptional artifacts from 40 Romanian and 4 Spanish institutions and follows the historical evolution of the current Romanian territory over a period of more than one thousand years (8th century BC – 7th century AD). Bogdan Aurescu began a two-day official visit to Spain, in the context of celebrating 140 years of bilateral diplomatic relations. The program of the visit includes consultations with Jose Manuel Albares Bueno and the launch, together with him, of a bilingual album dedicated to this anniversary.
Energy – The Energy Ministry in Bucharest is preparing a state aid scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises, in the context of the energy price crisis. The scheme would be applied as of November 18th. In another move, a parliamentary inquiry commission has called representatives of the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) for hearings, to clarify the increases in the electricity and natural gas bills in Romania.
Diaspora – Starting on Thursday, the Parliament Palace in Bucharest is hosting the 6th RePatriot summit, devoted to the Romanian Diaspora, which will bring together, until October 3rd, more than 300 Romanians from around the world. A jubilee volume will be also launched on the occasion, and the visitors will be able to watch a new exhibition, titled “Photogeographica, a quarter of a century”. The Photogeographica project was started in the 1990s and is the most important youth photography contest in Romania, an ample event that capitalizes on the Romanian natural and cultural heritage.
Sarkozy – On Thursday France’s former Conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of illegally financing his 2012 election campaign and sentenced to one year in prison. The verdict comes just seven months after he was convicted of corruption and influence peddling. The Court ruled that Sarkozy had benefited from a double-entry accounting system created in order to dodge the campaign spending limits imposed by the French law. (LS)
