September 25, 2020 UPDATE
A news update
Newsroom, 25.09.2020, 19:46
Elections — In the Romanian audiovisual Friday was the last day of the election campaign for Sunday’s local elections. The campaign started on August 28 being an atypical campaign due to the pandemic. For the first time in the country’s history the campaign unfolded under strict health security rules, under state of alert rules, and the elections will unfold in similar conditions. More than 18 million Romanians are expected to the polls to elect, in one single round, their mayors, county councils presidents and the members of the local and county councils for the next 4 years. The political fight will be fought like always by the big political parties and, according to analysts, the vote turnout is going to be decisive. The interior ministry has mobilized over 43 thousand policemen, gendarmes, border police, firefighters and employees of other structures for the election day. More than 20 thousand will have to ensure public order in the poling stations.
BSEC – The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu on Friday presided, in his capacity of incumbent president of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, an informal, online meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers from the member states of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC). The event unfolded on the sidelines of the 75th top-level UN General Assembly meeting. Debates focused on the ways in which BSEC could efficiently respond in order to manage the social and economic consequences of the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said that, based on constructive commitment, Romania decided to extend, exceptionally, the national mandate as acting president also for the 2nd semester of 2020, given that Bucharest obtained from all the member states an agreement regarding a solution meant to ensure the continuity of the subsequent acting presidencies. The meeting was also attended by the foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation and Turkey and by the deputy foreign ministers from Greece, Georgia, Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Ukraine.
CSAT — The country’s Supreme Defense Council – CSAT was summoned for October 6, the presidential administration announced on Friday. The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis decided to summon the Council so as to analyze issues regarding the country’s defense and national security. The previous CSAT meeting took place at the end of May when the Council looked into the country’s national defense strategy for the period 2020-2024, among other things.
Weather – Romanian meteorologists have issued a code orange alert for rain and strong winds for three quarters of the country and a code yellow alert for unsettled weather targeting half of the country, valid until Sunday morning. Heavy rainfalls will be reported in the mountains as well as in the north, center, east and southwest.
Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, top seed in Rolland Garros and world’s no. 2, will be up against the Spanish Sara Sorrives Tormo in the first round of the grand slam tournament in Roland Garros to start on Sunday. If she wins, Halep, a champion in 2018, will play in the second round with the winner of the match pitting Romanian Irina Begu against the Swiss Jil Teichmann. Another three Romanians are on the main table of the France Open. Patricia Ţig will play the Swiss Stefanie Voegele, Sorana Cîrstea will meet Elena Rîbakina from Kazakhstan, and Ana Bogdan will play against Hungarian Timea Babos. The number of Romanian players on the main table in Roland Garros reached 7 on Friday after Monica Niculescu defeated the Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 and Irina Bara won against the Dutch Richel Hogenkamp 6-2, 5-4. Also on Friday the Romanian Elena Ruse was defeated by the Austrian Barbara Haas 4-6, 5-7. Romania’s players will also participate in the doubles. (tr. L. Simion)
