February 25, 2016
The battle against corruption must continue at full tilt in Romania, says President Iohannis
Newsroom, 25.02.2016, 12:00
Romanian Health Minister Patriciu Achimas Cadariu has asked the management of the Children’s Hospital in Pitesti to resign after they failed to report a new case of haemolytic-uremic syndrome. The patient is a toddler who had been brought to hospital for severe diarrhoea eleven days ago and has been treated in several hospitals in Arges County and the capital Bucharest ever since. We remind you that around 30 small children from Arges have been committed to hospitals in that county and in Bucharest with severe digestive infection. Health authorities have so far failed to find the source of infection that has so far killed three children.
The battle against corruption must continue at full tilt in Romania and the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) should be a fierce player fighting against this plague that continues to scar our society, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has said today. The head of state attended, alongside PM Dacian Ciolos the presentation of the annual activity report of the DNA. In her turn, the Directorate’s chief, Laura Codruta Kovesi has said that the institution must continue investigating corruption deeds and putting all efforts into this. The DNA has said in a pres release that its activity was marked by a series of ‘premieres’ in 2015, such as the investigation and prosecution of a serving prime minister, Victor Ponta, the arrest of a Constitutional Court judge, Toni Grebla, and of the Bucharest mayor, Sorin Oprescu.
The European Council President Donald Tusk has said that the agreement between the EU and Britain will only be valid if the Britons vote in the June referendum in favor of their EU membership. In a speech held in the European Parliament, Tusk has said that the new settlement deal for Britain is “legally binding and irreversible” and “cannot be annulled by the European Court of Justice.”
The International Monetary Fund has warned that world economy is vulnerable to negative shocks and has called on G20 countries to take urgent and bold action to combat a slowing global economy. The statement came before a gathering of G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs in China on February 26. The IMF has said in a report that growth in advanced economies was already lower than expected and warned that Chinas slowdown and the collapse in commodity prices were major headwinds that could derail the global recovery. Financial market turbulence and asset price declines in advanced economies posed additional difficulties, the report says.
Romanian Culture Minister Vlad Alexandrescu has signed at the Vatican the first cultural accord between Romania and the Holy See. The document is aimed at stimulating the staging of extensive cultural events particularly for the numerous Romanian community in Italy. The Romanian Minister’s visit included, among others, a meeting with the head of the Vatican Museums, professor Antonio Paolucci, with whom he discussed joint cultural projects.
The Swiss will have their say, in a referendum later this month, on whether to subject any foreign resident to automatic deportation if convicted of offences running the gamut from murder to breaking the speed limit. The anti-immigration Swiss Peoples Party (SVP), which holds about a third of seats in parliament, initiated the referendum. However, critics say that automatic deportations would violate European Convention on Human Rights rules applied to families, as deportees could leave dependent relatives behind, exposing them to financial hardship.
Over 280 firms from 15 countries are today presenting their offer at Romania’s Tourism Fair that opened in Bucharest today. Until Sunday, agencies, organisers and tourism associations will present their best offers to Romanian and foreign tourists. Sales of domestic holiday packages are expected to grow, competing with offers from Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria.
