December 8, 2019 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 08.12.2019, 19:20

CONSTITUTION DAY – President Klaus Iohannis on Sunday conveyed a message on Romanias Constitution Day, saying that any attempt to change the fundamental law must be carried out with maximum responsibility, in order to have a modernized Constitution, that would allow the building of a powerful and effective state. The Constitution is more than a fundamental law, is a commitment to democracy, which renders the political community meaningful, sanctions flaws and maintains the balance of power, the message reads. The Liberal prime-minister Ludovic Orban too conveyed a message, saying that the Constitution is centered on the interests of the citizens, their rights, the rule of law and the ideals of the anti-Communist Revolution of 1989. “We cannot tolerate in any way the violation of the Constitution, because we want to keep safe the European path that Romania signed up to taking after the fall of communism”, the PM said.

FAC – The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is attending on Monday the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The main topics on the agenda are the EU – Africa relations and the situation of human rights in the world. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, this will be the first meeting of the EU foreign ministers chaired by the new High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell. On the sidelines of the formal meeting, the Romanian minister will take part in a working brunch hosted by the Greek foreign minister, with the Macedonian and Albanian foreign ministers as special guests. Also, during a working lunch, the ministers will have an informal exchange of opinions regarding the priorities of the new High Representative of the EU and work practices at the level of the Foreign Affairs Council.

COLECTIV – On Monday, the Bucharest Tribunal is expected to give a first ruling in the Colectiv case, opened in October 2015, when a fire broke out at a club in Bucharest, killing 65 people and wounding hundreds. The defendants are the owners of the club, the firefighters that controlled the club, the former mayor of the Bucharest district where the club was located, as well as representatives of the company that installed the fireworks that caused the fire. The former health minister Nicolae Banicioiu was heard on Friday, as prosecutors are also investigating the way in which the Romanian authorities intervened after the fire. Shortly after the tragedy occurred, Banicioiu publicly stated that the Romanian authorities needed no help from abroad to treat the wounded. A year later, the victims parents filed a criminal complaint with the General Prosecutors Office, accusing several government officials and health-care representatives of failing to take the necessary measures after the fire broke out. The General Prosecutors Office has opened a case for aggravated manslaughter, abuse of office and negligence on the authorities part.

COMMEMORATION – Events marking 30 years since the anti-Communist Revolution in Romania continue in Timisoara, in the west. In the coming days, marches, masses and wreath-laying ceremonies will be held, as well as exhibitions, concerts and book launches. December 17th will be a day of mourning, and on December 20th the events will culminate in grandiose festivities and concerts devoted to the day on which Timisoara became the first city free of Communism in Romania. More than 1000 people died and some 3,400 were wounded in the clashes that occurred in December 1989 in Romania, which is the only country in the Eastern Bloc where the change of the regime was violent and the Communist rulers were executed.

EUROSTAT – According to data provided by Eurostat, in 2018, More than 3.1 million Romanian citizens able to work, aged 15 to 64, were residing in the EU and in the countries members of the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein). The figure is by 200,000 higher that the one reported in 2017, marking the most significant yearly growth in terms of migration within the EU. Next come Italy, Bulgaria and Greece. In August, the National Institute of Statistics showed that Romania continues to be an emigration country, as more than 238,000 people left the country in 2018 alone.

EUROPEAN FILM – The film “The Favourite” by Yorgos Lanthimos is the big winner of the European Film Awards, which unfolded on Saturday night in Berlin. The film won eight awards, including for best film, best director, best comedy and best actress, Olivia Colman. The film tells the story of two cousins from the royal family who compete to win the favours of the queen. Antonio Banderas grabbed the best European Actor prize for his part in Pedro Almodovars “Pain an Glory”. The best short reel award went to “The Christmas Gift” by the Romanian Bogdan Muresan, a Romania – Spain co-production featuring Ioana Flora and Adrian Vancica. “The Christmas Gift” has been one of the most awarded Romanian short reels, with more than 50 prizes won at international level. The film is a grim comedy about one of the last day of communism in Romania, December 20th, 1989, when a fathers quiet evening turned to ordeal as he found out that his 7-year old son had mailed a wish letter to Santa, asking him to fulfill his fathers desire to see dictator Ceausescu dead.

HANDBALL – The Romanian national womens handball team will take on Sweden on Tuesday and then Japan on Wednesday, in Group II of the World Championship underway in Japan. On Sunday, the Romanian squad was defeated by the Russian one, 27 to 18. In the same group, Montenegro passed by Japan 30 to 26, while the match between Spain and Sweden ended in a draw. Russia ranks first, with 6 points, followed by Spain with 4, Sweden and Montenegro with 2 each. Romania and Japan have failed to get any points.