September 7, 2013
For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here...
Valentin Țigău, 06.09.2013, 00:30
The Romanian Chamber of Deputies and the Senate will convene on Monday to set up a special commission that should analyze the bill on gold and silver mining in Rosia Montana, in central Romania. For almost a week now, street protests have been taken place in several cities across the country and abroad, as well as heated debates between those who oppose and those who support the project. Environmentalists say the use of cyanide to extract gold poses a major threat to the environment, leading to irreversible pollution, while historians say a mining project in the area will destroy historical remains that are unique in the world. From the other side of the barricade, the Government, that submitted the bill to Parliament for approval, says the project is an engine for development and new jobs in the region.
Almost three quarters of the Bucharesters to take part in the referendum on October 6th would vote for the stray dogs to be euthanized, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy. According to the report, half of the capital city’s locals see euthanizing stray dogs as the only solution to the problem. Shocking news brought the issue of stray dogs to the media’s attention again. A four-year-old kid died on Monday after being brutally attacked by a pack of stray dogs near a park in Bucharest. The Government is trying to come up with the right solution, together with MPs and local authorities. The latter are referring to a legal vacuum as regards stray dogs. According to the last canine census, Bucharest is home to 64,000 stray dogs.
The Bucharest authorities together with the European Commission will present, by the end of September, a list with Romanian priority projects to receive European financing. The announcement was made in Brussels by the new Transport Minister Ramona Manescu, who has pointed out that these projects are very important for the Romanian economy. The Romanian official’s agenda has been dominated by talks with the European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, and with the European Commissioner for Regional Policies, Johannes Hahn.
The EU Foreign Ministers asked for a “clear and strong response” to the August 21st attack with chemical weapons in Syria, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton said on Saturday in Vilnius. The US Secretary of State John Kerry was one of the high officials that took part in the foreign ministers’ meeting in Vilnius. The ministers hailed the announcement made by the French President Francois Hollande a day before, according to which France will wait for the UN inspector’s report before taking a stand on Syria.
The Civic Force Party, the Christian Democratic National Peasants’ Party and the Liberal Romania Initiative signed on Saturday, at the Parliament Palace, a collaboration protocol within the Justice and Truth Alliance. The leaders of the three political parties defined the move as an important step ahead for the unification of the Romanian right-wing parties. They also called on other parties that share the Alliance’s values and principles to join them.
The Romanian economy will go up by 2.5% this year, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s September report. After the euro zone comes out of recession, in 2014, the Romanian economy’s growth pace will increase gradually to an annual average of 4% between 2014 and 2017, given that the country’s GDP is supported by exports and an increasing domestic demand. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s report also says that it is very likely for the structural funds’ absorption to improve in Romania over the next few years.
Romania is taking part in the 7th edition of the Francophone Games, which kicked off on Saturday in Nice, France. According to the Romanian Cultural Institute, one of the best-known Romanian musicians, panpipe player Gheorghe Zamfir, has been invited to hold a concert with his ensemble. Romania’s participation in the event, which ends on September 15th, also includes an exhibition of Romanian traditional blouses, pottery workshops, presentations of traditional tapestry and sculpture. Held once in every four years, the event gathers over 3000 young athletes and artists from the Francophone area.
