August 31, 2017 UPDATE
For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.
Newsroom, 31.08.2017, 19:31
DIPLOMACY — Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Thursday said Romania must take on higher responsibilities in European economic diplomacy and fulfill its full potential. Addressing the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy in Bucharest, Minister Melescanu also referred to the need to diversify trade relations by focusing on emerging economies and regaining influence on traditional markets and looking towards others. The theme for this year’s meeting is “A Changing World — The Stakes of Romania’s Foreign Policy”.
APPOINTMENT — The head of the Permanent Election Authority Daniel Barbu on Thursday took over the leadership of the World Election Bodies Association (AWEB) for a two-year tenure. Barbu was sworn in at the third meeting of AWEB hosted by Bucharest. The decision was taken at the AWEB General Assembly of 2016. Romania’s Election Authority joined AWEB as soon as the association was founded in 2013. AWEB currently comprises election authorities from over 100 countries from all over the world.
ROMANIAN LANGUAGE DAY –The Romanian Language Day was celebrated on Thursday. On this occasion, the Ministry for the Romanian diaspora organized in Bucharest, in a partnership with the Romanian Academy, a conference on “Romanian language revival and renewal in the diaspora,” while the Romanian Cultural Institute organised activities in major cities abroad. Conferences, roundtables, book launches, recitals and exhibitions were held in Istanbul, New York, Madrid, Tel Aviv and Warsaw. The Romanian Language Day was also celebrated in the Republic of Moldova, and according to the ambassador of Romania to Chisinau, Daniel Ioniţă, this is further proof of the profound unity of the people living on the two banks of Prut River.
PARLIAMENT — Parliament will resume its plenary sessions on Friday after the summer recess. High on the MPs’ agenda are several emergency orders, among which one on increasing pensions to reflect inflation and another on capping child-rearing benefits to 1,850 euros per month. The draft law on vaccination and amending the laws on the judiciary are also on Parliament’s agenda.
JUDICIARY — The Romanian Justice Ministry has made public the bill modifying the laws on the judiciary, on which Minister Tudorel Toader has requested the official opinion of the Superior Council of Magistrates. The bill, which is intended to make the management of courts and prosecutor offices more efficient, stipulates changes primarily in terms of the professional assessment, promotion, and appointment to senior positions of staff in the judicial system. Some of the changes announced a while ago by Minister Tudorel Toader concern the appointment of the prosecutor general and of the chief prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism by the Superior Council of Magistrates based on a nomination by the Justice Minister, and the setup of a special directorate to investigate offences committed by magistrates. The measures have been criticized and prompted street protests. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate says this is a form of pressure on the work of prosecutors, while the Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazar, says that if endorsed, the bill would affect the independence of magistrates and the activity of judicial institutions.
EXCISE — Romanian carriers criticize the Government’s decision to increase fuel excises, and predict dark times will come for Romanian transports. The Romanian Federation of Transport Operators says each additional eurocent in the price of petrol and diesel will have a direct impact on the competitiveness of Romanian road carriers and will force many international transport operators to buy fuel from abroad. On Wednesday the Government decided to increase fuel excises in 2 stages, as of September 15 and October 1, respectively. Finance Minister Ionuţ Mişa explained that the measure would be introduced gradually so as not to generate a shock, consisting in higher prices and lower consumption, which would affect the state budget.
BREXIT — EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier said no significant progress has been made on the main points of negotiations with Great Britain. Barnier said there are confidence issues between the two camps. In turn, British Secretary for Brexit David Davis urged the EU to be more flexible.
FOOTBALL — Romania’s national football team is preparing for the game against Armenia, to be played on Friday on home turf, and the one against Montenegro away from home on Monday, as part of the preliminary Group E of next year’s World Football Cup hosted by Russia. The unchallenged leader of the group is Poland, with 16 points, followed by Montenegro and Denmark, with 10 points each, Romania and Armenia, 6, and Kazakhstan, with 2 points. In this preliminary campaign, the Romanian team is for the first time in its history managed by a foreign coach, the German Cristoph Daum. (Translated by A.M. Popescu & V. Palcu)
