October 6, 2019 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 06.10.2019, 19:13
MOTION – The Romanian PM and leader of the Social Democratic Party Viorica Dancila said again on Sunday that she was convinced the no-confidence motion against the government would not pass in parliament. She also stated she was counting on people of good faith, who knew what stability in Romania meant. The motion titled “In order to rebuild Romania, the Dancila Government must be urgently dismissed!” is to be discussed and voted on Thursday. PM Dancila claims that the opposition does not have enough votes to oust the government. The motion has been signed by 237 MPs from all political parties. For the government to fall, 233 votes are needed. We recall that in late August, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats broke the governing coalition with the Social Democratic Party.
TRAFFIC – The Romanian Transport Minister Razvan Cuc has announced that traffic controls and measures will be enhanced following the tragic accident that occurred on Saturday night in southern Romania, where a minibus and a truck collided, killing 10 people and wounding another 7. Trucks will be equipped with scanning devices and meters, to establish the driving times and level of tiredness. The new measures will be introduced in the legislation by means of a ministers order.
JHA COUNCIL – On Monday and Tuesday, the Romanian Justice Minister Ana Birchall attends the proceedings of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the first held under the Finish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The participants will discuss topics such as EU measures against corruption, fighting cross-border crime through Eurojust, electronic evidence, the setting up of the European Prosecutors Office, the EUs joining the European Court of Human Rights, fighting online hate speech, the protection of personal data and the relations between democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. On the sidelines of the council, minister Birchall will have meetings with counterparts from the member states.
ELECTION – The Permanent Electoral Authority has approved the proposals made by the Romanian diplomatic missions and consular offices regarding the locations of 444 polling stations abroad for the presidential elections due next month. The list submitted by the Foreign Affairs Ministry includes the 78 stations that will be established based on requests registered on the portal www.votstrainatate.ro. By October 19th, the Foreign Ministry will submit new proposals for polling stations abroad. As regards postal voting, the Permanent Electoral Authority has announced that the Romanian Post has already distributed more than 10,000 envelopes, and another 4,500 will be sent in the coming period. The election campaign starts on October 12. The first round of the presidential elections will be held on November 10th, and the second on November 24th. 14 candidates have registered in the presidential race.
REPATRIATION – The Romanian Royal Family has announced the program of the funerals of Queen Mother Elena, whose remains will be repatriated. According to a communique, the coffin will be brought to the country on October 18th, and the burial ceremony will be held on the second day, at the Episcopal Cathedral in Curtea de Arges, in southern Romania. Queen Elena died in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1982. She will now lay next to her son, King Michael I.
FILM – The film Colectiv, by the Romanian-born German director Alexander Nanau has won the Golden Eye trophy for best documentary at the 15th Zurich Film Festival. The film presents the events that followed the fire at the club in Bucharest, which killed 64 people. Colectiv is an observational documentary, which tells the story of the first year after the tragedy, seeking for truth.
GAUDEAMUS The Gaudeamus Caravan, the travelling fair organized by Radio Romania ends today in Iasi, eastern Romania. This year, the caravan started in Craiova, and then travelled to Cluj-Napoca and Oradea, presenting the best known publishers in Romania, alongside prestigious foreign publishers. Then, the caravan moved on to Timisoara, Mamaia and Brasov. Next comes the Gaudeamus Fair in Bucharest, with hundreds of editorial and professional events.
PLESCOI – Another Romanian product, the sixth, has been included on the list of products recognized and protected in the EU, namely the Plescoi sausages. The European Commission has included them in the registry of products that benefit from protected geographical indication. The sausages are a mix of lamb and beef, sometimes also goat meat, spiced with red paprika, garlic and thyme and their taste is quite unique. They go back as early as the 13th century. A festival devoted to the Plescoi sausages has been held annually in the past 11 years. The other five Romanian products included in this category are the Topoloveni jam, the Sibiu salami, the smoked silver carp of Barsa Land, the smoked Danube mackerel and the Ibanesti cheese. Another 20 products are pending certification.
(translated by M. Ignatescu)
