May 5, 2018 UPDATE
Nicolae Manolescu, re-elected president of the Romanian Writers' Union
Newsroom, 05.05.2018, 19:41
WRITERS — Literary critic Nicolae Manolescu was re-elected president of the Romanian Writers’ Union, for the 2018-2023 time frame. Manolescu thanked his colleagues for their trust in him and for opting for continuity. Manolescu’s contenders were writers Dan Lungu, Stefan Mitroi and Simona Vasilache and essayist Narcis Zarnescu. The Romanian Writers’ Union has 26 hundred members, activating in 19 branches in Romania and in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova.
BREXIT — The UK is leaving the European Union but not Europe and it remains a friend of Romania and Europe, British Ambassador in Bucharest, Paul Brummell has said. Attending an event dedicated to Europe’s Day the British Ambassador said that the rights of the Romanians residing in the UK would not change. Romanians who have been living in the UK for five years will keep, after Brexit, their health insurance, the right to work and theright to other services, the British Ambassador has explained. He has also said that Romanians who have been residing in the UK for less than five years will obtain the respective rights when the residential qualifying period is completed.
PLAN – The UK is backing a French plan to create a European military intervention force as a way to maintain strong defense ties with the EU after Brexit, France Press reports. The force, known as the European Intervention Initiative, will be separate from other EU defence cooperation, so there would be no obstacle to Britain taking part after it leaves the bloc. The idea aims to bring together European countries with a military capacity and political desire to collaborate on planning, carry out joint analyses of emerging crises and to react to them quickly. French President Emmanuel Macron broadly outlined the idea to have a rapid European intervention force by the end of the decade during a landmark speech on Europe last September. The French initiative is supported by nine countries, namely, Italy, Spain, Germany, the UK, Estonia, Denmark, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium. The meeting in Sofia focused on aspects related to the development of initiatives for the implementation of the priorities of the Global Strategy in the field of security and defense, the relations between the EU and NATO and the EU’s military operations.
SECRET PROTOCOLS – Romania’s Higher Magistracy Council on Friday made public the declassified protocol signed by this institution with the country’s Intelligence Service (SRI) in 2012. The document stipulates, among other things, that in exceptional situations the data and information provided by the SRI can be used in the Magistracy Council’s investigation cases. Judge Dana Garbovan, the president of the National Union of Judges, has said that by signing this protocol, the Higher Magistracy Council gave up its constitutional role and transferred the independence of justice to the SRI. Talking about the secret protocols signed between the state institutions, President Klaus Iohannis has said their signatories must defend, denounce or explain them. Last fall, the head of the Parliament’s committee for the control of the SRI, Claudiu Manda, said that the country’s intelligence service signed 65 secret protocols with various state institutions. One of these protocols, forged with the General Prosecutor’s Office, was declassified and made public a month ago.
DIASPORA — Providing the means and instruments needed to support Romanians in southern Italy can put an end to labour exploitation, Minister for the Romanians Abroad, Natalia Intotero, said on Friday after meetings with representatives of the local authorities in the Italian regions of Bari and Puglia. Talks focused on the protection of the rights of the Romanian citizens in Italy, on improving their image and initiating an information campaign. Also on Friday, Natalia Intotero took part in the official opening of the first of the three info-kiosks purchased by the Romanian Consulate in Bari. These info kiosks provide Romanian citizens with information on consular services, working conditions in Italy and on their rights and obligations. According to the National Statistics Institute, more than 1.1 million Romanians are currently residing in Italy.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu lost Friday’s final of the WTA tournament in Prague to Petra Kvitova, the tournament’s second favourite, in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Buzarnescu and Lidia Morozova of Belarus also lost the doubles’ final of the same competition, played against Nicole Melichar of the US and Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-2. (Translated by Elena Enache)
