February 27, 2018

Heavy winter weather shuts down schools and roads in Romania; Magistrates debate dismissal request against the head of anti-corruption

Mihai Pelin, 27.02.2018, 13:50

WEATHER — The south and east of the country, including Bucharest, are under yellow and orange alert codes for very low temperatures, blizzard and snow. Temperatures are expected to go even lower in the following few days, reaching values comparable to the historical records for this region. Minimums will range between -22 and -12 degrees Celsius. Road and railroad traffic has been disrupted, with sea ports being closed. The blizzard last night has brought down power lines in dozens of localities. 17,000 Ministry of the Interior employees have been mobilized across the country. Several national and county roads are off limits, and two national motorways in the southeast of the country have been closed. Schools are out in Bucharest for the entire week, as well as in several southern counties. One casualty has been reported, in the northern county of Suceava. The noon reading in Bucharest was minus 8 degrees.

JUSTICE – The Higher Council of Magistrates debates the request filed by the Minister of Justice, Tudorel Toader, to dismiss the head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi. He said his request was motivated by the fact that he considers her actions to be intolerable under the rule of law. Among the allegations are serious violations of her attributions, and delays in some cases. The Councils endorsement is consultative in nature, with the final decision lying in the hands of President Klaus Iohannis. The latters first reaction was to say that there were no solid reasons to remove the head anti-corruption prosecutor. General Prosecutor of Romania Augustin Lazar is on Kovesis side, joined by a majority of anti-corruption prosecutors. Protests have been held almost daily in Bucharest and major cities against the dismissal.

CHISINAU – Romanian PM Viorica Dancila held talks in Chisinau with her Moldovan counterpart, Pavel Filip, for bolstering bilateral cooperation. They reviewed the stage of economic cooperation, especially in trade and energy. The two prime ministers met representatives of the Siret-Prut-Dnestr Euroregion, as well as representatives of the Association of Romanian Investors in the Republic of Moldova. She also held a meeting with the speaker of the Parliament of Moldova, Adrian Candu. The PM emphasized the constant and firm support that Romania has for Moldova, urging officials there to continue their structural reforms, as stipulated by the association agreement between Chisinau and the EU, signed in 2014. On Monday in Brussels, after the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu made similar pledges. He chaired a meeting of the Group for the European Action of the Republic of Moldova, also attended by Moldovan Foreign Minister Tudor Ulyanovsky.

EUROPE — At least ten people have lost their lives in the cold wave that has hit Europe these days. In Central Europe, the UK, Italy and Spain, the authorities have called on people to prepare for this so-called Moscow-Paris phenomenon, caused by cold waves from Siberia. On Monday, schools and tourist venues in Rome were closed when the first snow since 2012 fell there. In the UK, the so-called Beast from the East disrupted road, railroad and air traffic, with heavy snow warnings being issued.

HANDBALL — Romanian womens handball champions CSM Bucharest was defeated Monday night in an away game by Hungarian team Gyor, 28-24, in a game counting towards the premier group of the Champions League. In the first leg, the team from Bucharest defeated Gyor 28-22, but the latter is now in first place, with 12 points, followed by CSM Bucharest and Russian champion Rostov, both now holding 11 points. CSM has qualified for the quarter finals, but is fighting for gaining one of the top two places in order to face a weaker adversary in the elimination stage. CSM won the League in 2016.

PROSECUTION — The National Anti-Corruption Directorate called on the High Court of Cassation and Justice in Romania to issue a mandatory jail sentence against former Social Democratic prime minister Victor Ponta. He stands accused of falsifying documents, conspiracy to commit tax evasion, and money laundering, in his private law practice. Ponta is prosecuted in this case alongside former Social Democratic senator Dan Sova.