CONSULTATIONS – President Klaus Iohannis is today
\nconsulting with political parties after Liberal Prime Minister Ludovic Orban
\ntendered his resignation as Prime Minister designate. The President explained the
\ngesture was meant to remove the deadlock caused by the Social-Democratic Party,
\nwhich boycotted Monday’s Parliament session, the scheduled date for the
\nGovernment’s investiture. Also on Monday the Constitutional Court ruled that
\nthe nomination of the dismissed Prime Minister, Ludovic Orban, for the
\nformation of a new government, was unconstitutional, as Orban had been
\nallegedly nominated to ensure the collapse, not the success of the new
\nGovernment. Two consecutive Governments must fail before the President can
\ndissolve Parliament and call early elections, a scenario favored by the
\nPresident, the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union. The other
\npolitical parties, the Social-Democratic Party first and foremost, have argued
\nagainst early elections. We recall the first Orban Cabinet, sworn in last year
\nin November, was removed through no-confidence motion after it took
\nresponsibility in Parliament over the return to the two-round voting system for
\nlocal elections. <\/p>\n
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CORONAVIRUS – The country’s Supreme Defense Council is
\ntoday convening in Bucharest to address means of combating a potential
\ncoronavirus epidemic at national level. So far there has been no confirmation
\nof any infection in Romania, but the authorities need to be prepared in case
\nthe situation takes a negative turn, President Klaus Iohannis said. The
\npresident urged the population to remain calm and the press to avoid
\nsensationalist stories with a powerful emotional impact, which might generate
\nand amplify panic. According to a press release of the newly-founded Strategic
\nInformation Group within the Romanian Government, 26 people are being
\nquarantined and 2,077 are under house monitoring. The Matei Bals Institute
\nfor Infectious Disease in Bucharest is currently analyzing 32 samples obtained
\nfrom people from areas visited by an Italian citizen who tested positive for
\nCOVID-19. The 71-year-old man visited Romania over February 18-22, and saw the
\nrelatives of his Romanian wife and met with business people. Northern Italy is
\nhome to some 300 thousand Romanians, and all people arriving in Romania from
\nthis region will be automatically quarantined for 14 days. We recall two
\nRomanians who got infected with COVID-19 onboard the Diamond Princess cruise
\nship, currently in quarantine in the port of Yokohama, are in hospital care in
\nTokyo. <\/p>\n
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COVID-19 -
\nThe new coronavirus continues to spread. Austria, Switzerland, Croatia and
\nAlgeria have recently reported cases of infections. Thousands of tourists are
\nblocked in a hotel on Tenerife Island in Spain. Most cases are reported in
\nItaly, where 300 people are sick. The World Health Organization has urged all
\nnations to immediately prepare for a potential spread of the coronavirus
\nepidemic. According to the WHO, many countries are simply ill-prepared to deal
\nwith the disease. The biggest concern in terms of the impact of the epidemic is
\nIran. Health authorities in the United States are expecting the virus to hit
\nsoon, and have asked the local authorities to consider the cancelling of public
\nevents. The viral pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus broke out in December
\nlast year in China and has infected some 80,000 people worldwide. The death
\ntoll has exceeded 2,700. Some 2,700 infections and 40 deaths have been reported
\noutside China so far.<\/p>\n
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COMMEMORATION
\n– Authorities in Hanau, Germany, which last week saw a double-attack which
\nkilled nine people, including a Romanian, announced a special ceremony to
\ncommemorate the victims will be held on March 4. Attending the event will be
\nPresident Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Immigrants from Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania,
\nBosnia and Afghanistan, but also German nationals were killed by two attacks
\nlast week in the center of Hanau, in Hessa Land. The perpetrator subsequently
\nkilled his own mother and committed suicide. German authorities are treating
\nthe attack as an act of racism and terrorism, claiming the attacker acted
\nalone. A few days before, the killer had posted videos where he spoke of his
\nhatred for foreigners.<\/p>\n
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FOOTBALL -
\nRomanian champions CFR Cluj is today playing FC Seville of Spain in the return
\nleg of the Europa League round of 32. In the first leg played at home, Cluj
\ndrew 1-all. Coached by former national team player, Dan Petrescu, CFR finished
\nthe group phase in 2nd place in a group that included Lazio Rome of
\nItaly, Celtic Glasgow of Scotland and Rennes of France. Four-time Europa League
\nwinner, Seville is coached by the former manager of Real Madrid, Julien
\nLopetegui and had easier opponents in the group phase, Apoel from Cyprus,
\nQarabaq of Azerbaijan and Dudelange of Luxembourg.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
(Translated by V.
\nPalcu)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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