October 14, 2019

President Iohannis holds consultations with parliamentary parties, Council of the EU confirms Kovesi's appointment as EU chief prosecutor

Newsroom, 14.10.2019, 13:59

Consultations — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is today having a new round of talks with the parliamentary parties with a view to forming a new government. He will announce on Tuesday, at the latest, the proposal for prime minister. On Friday, after the first round of talks, the head of state showed the urgent need for a transitional government made up of the National Liberal Party or around this party which initiated the motion of no confidence that led to the dismissal of the Social Democratic government. According to Klaus Iohannis the new government needs to draft the budget for 2020 and to ensure the organization in good conditions of the November presidential election. The Liberal leader Ludovic Orban might take the seat of PM. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats – ALDE, a former partner of the PSD in the ruling coalition, supports a Liberal government but on certain conditions. The Save Romania Union wants early elections that should be organized by the future government early next year. The People’s Movement Party — PMP and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians – UDMR in Romania are against early elections. The Ethnic Hungarians will make a proposal for prime minister to President Iohannis and the PMP wants the new government to pass an emergency decree under which mayors should be elected in two rounds of voting. Pro Romania party has not ruled out a possible participation in the new government. PSD has not taken part in the consultations. The Social Democrats’ leader Viorica Dancila subsequently announced that they would support a Liberal government is the Liberals signed the so-called Pact for the Romanians’ welfare.

European prosecutor – The Council of the EU on Monday confirmed the appointment of the Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi to the post of European chief prosecutor and the appointment is next to be confirmed by the EP, shows a communiqué of the Council of the EU. Laura Codruta Lovesi is currently a prosecutor with the General Prosecutor’s Office of the High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania. She has previously held various positions of prosecutor during her career in Romania, among which chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate.

Luxembourg – Dan Neculăescu, a secretary of state with the Foreign Ministry, is participating in Luxembourg in the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. High on the agenda of the Council meeting are topical international issues such as the situation in Syria, Turkey and Afghanistan. According to a Foreign Ministry communiqué, during a working lunch the European officials have the opportunity to informally exchange opinions with the Ukrainian foreign minister Vadym Prystaiko.

Orthodox pilgrimage — The largest Orthodox pilgrimage organized in Romania and one of the largest pilgrimages in Europe, continues in Iasi, in northeastern Romania, at the Holy Relics of the Saint Parascheva who is commemorated on October 14. Priests from Romania, the neighboring Republic of Moldova, Greece and Bulgaria have held an open-air special liturgical service this morning. It is estimated that until Tuesday the number of pilgrims will exceed 120 thousand. Born near Constantinople in the early 11th century Saint Parascheva has been considered the protector of the Romanian Principality of Modavia since 1641, when her holy relics were brought to Iasi by ruler Vasile Lupu. They were granted to him by the Ecumenical Patriarch after the Romanian ruler had paid off the Patriarchate’s debts to the Ottoman administration.

Football — Romania’s Under-21 national football team is playing today, on home turf, against the team of Northern Ireland in a Group 8 match of the Euro 2021 preliminaries. On Thursday, the Romanians defeated Ukraine 3-0, also at home, after last month, in their debut match, they had lost 1-2 to Denmark. We recall that in June Romania’s Under 21 team qualified, for the first time, to the semifinals of the European competition final to be hosted by Italy and San Marino and thus got a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. In the seniors’ competition Romania’s football team will play on Tuesday in Bucharest against Norway in Group F of the 2020 European Championships preliminaries. (translation by L. Simion)