July 23, 2019 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 23.07.2019, 19:55
CANDIDACY – Social-Democrat leader, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Tuesday was
designated presidential candidate by the National Executive Committee. On
August 3 the nomination will be voted in the Social-Democratic Congress.
Dancila previously had talked to Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, the president of the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, and PRO Romania leader Victor Ponta,
regarding the nomination of a common candidate in the presidential election due
in November. According to pundits, Viorica Dancila is only third in line to win
the elections, after the acting president Klaus Iohannis, favorite to secure a
second term in office and backed by the National Liberal Party in opposition,
and Dan Barna of the Save Romania Union – PLUS Alliance in runner-up position.
SACKING -
Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila Tuesday sacked the head of the
National Health Insurance Agency, Razvan Vulcanescu, and dispatched an internal
investigation. The Prime Minister last week called for Vulcanescu’s dismissal
for failing to deal with the shortcomings of the IT platform of health
insurance cards. Vulcanescu refused to resign, denying responsibility over
these matters.
UK -
Former British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday was elected leader of
the Conservative Party in power and will thus replace Theresa May as Prime
Minister. He defeated the current Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt after grabbing
92.153 of the 159,000 votes in the Party. On Wednesday, Johnson will take over
the Government after a short visit to Queen Elizabeth II, who will officially
swear him in. Boris Johnson has pledged to officially enact Brexit on October
31, fearing a new delay.
UKRAINE -
Romanians in Ukraine will have a new representative in the Ukrainian
Parliament, after former sports journalist Gheorghe Mazurasu won an MP seat on
Sunday on behalf of Volodimir Zelensky’s Servant of the People Party. Mazurasu
won 27% of the vote cast in a constituency with a majority Romanian population,
near Cernauti, in Western Ukraine. Zelensky’s party won the snap elections by a
landslide, grabbing 43% of the vote. Ranking second was the pro-Russian
Opposition Platform alliance, followed by three pro-European parties. Over 400
thousand Romanian nationals live in neighboring Ukraine.
MOLDOVA – The
European Commission on Tuesday resumed its financial support to the Republic of
Moldova, worth some 14 million euros. Payments have resumed after a nearly
two-year break, as a result of the deterioration of the rule of law in this
country. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent to Brussels, thanks to the
latest measures taken by the new pro-European Government in Chisinau led by
Maia Sandu, the EU says Moldova has fulfilled conditions necessary to resume
the financial assistance programme.
FOOTBALL – Romanian
football champions CFR Cluj on Wednesday are playing Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel
on home turf in the first leg of the Champions League second preliminary round.
On Thursday, in the first leg of Europa League, Romanian Cup winners Viitorul
Constanta will take on KAA Gent of Belgium, while vice-champions FCSB will go
up against FC Alashkert of Armenia. Finally, CSU Craiova will play Honved
Budapest. The return legs are scheduled for next week. If it advances to the
third round, CFR Cluj will play either Celtic Glasgow of Scotland or Estonia’s
Nomme Kalju. Viitorul will play the winner between AEK Larnaca of Cyprus or
Levski Sofia of Bulgaria, while FCSB will play either Mlada Boleslav of the
Czech Republic or Ordabasy Shymkent of Kazakhstan, while Craiova will take on
AEK Athens of Greece.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
