June 7, 2015
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Mihai Pelin, 07.06.2015, 12:00
Leaders of the ruling coalition in Romania have convened on Sunday for talks over the requests concerning the resignation of Social-Democratic Prime Minister Victor Ponta after anti-corruption prosecutors launched an investigation in his name. After this meeting the Prime Minister gave a news conference expressing his confidence in the judiciary adding that he was not guilty and that the accusations might be related to the cabinet reshuffle and that he would contest the decision made by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. The Legal Committee of the Chamber of Deputies is to announce a schedule for talks over the anti-corruption prosecutors’ request to launch criminal investigation against Ponta for a possible conflict of interests during his mandate as a Prime Minister. Anti-corruption prosecutors didn’t need Parliament approval for other offenses committed during the time Ponta used to be a lawyer and have already launched an investigation in that case. The incumbent Prime Minister has been accused of having forged documents, for accessory to aggravated tax evasion and money laundering. The file also involves Romania’s former Transport Minister, Social Democratic senator, Dan Sova, also facing charges in a file over the power plants in Turceni and Rovinari. Sova has been accused of having cashed in hundreds of thousands of euros to forge agreements that damaged the state with over 16 million euros. The Prime Minister’s corruption allegations will be high on the agenda of Monday’s talks between Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and political party leaders. President Iohannis has already called on the Prime Minister to step down but the latter refused arguing that it is only Parliament that has the right to ask for his resignation.
The grand prize of Transylvania International Film Festival TIFF has gone to Argentinean production El Incendio, directed by Juan Schnitman. The best director award has been awarded to Bulgarian-Greek production ‘the Lesson’ by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Vlachanov. German-born actress Nastassja Kinski has been awarded a prize for her contribution to the development of world cinematography, while Romanian filmmaker Marin Moraru has walked away with a prize of excellence. The most important film festival in Romania, the TIFF included hundreds of screenings, concerts, conferences and showrooms, which have been attended by 65 thousand spectators.
Heads of state and government from the world’s seven industrialized nations, including US president Barack Obama are today participating in the G7 summit underway in Bavaria, Germany. High on the agenda are the violent conflict in eastern Ukraine and negotiations on Greece’s foreign debt. Another major issue is Europe’s sanctions against Russia due to expire in July. The EU leaders have announced they will extend the sanctions until January due to Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine against the deterioration of the situation in that country and the intensified fighting between the separatists and government troops, which has so far killed 64 hundred people.
Romanian fencer Simona Pop has reaped the bronze medal in the saber contest of the European Fencing Tournament in Montreaux (Switzerland). The Romanian conceded defeat in the semis to Russian Violetta Kolobova. Another Romanian, Ana-Maria Branza has been eliminated in the quarterfinals by Hungarian Emese Szasz. Five athletes from Romania are still attending the women’s sabre event and the male’s epee contest.
