November 13, 2021

A roundup of domestic and international news.

Newsroom, 13.11.2021, 14:00

CORONAVIRUS — The number of new Covid infections is on the decrease in Romania. Little over 4,000 new infections in 24 hours have been reported today and 323 related deaths, of which 19 previous to the above-mentioned interval. In Bucharest, the number of cases in one thousand inhabitants in 14 days is 6.68. It is the 22nd day of decrease in Covid infections in the capital city, authorities report.

DIPLOMACY — The Romanian Foreign Ministry hails the re-election of the country’s interim foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu as member of the UN International Law Commission for a second 4-year term. Aurescu was re-elected in this position by the UN General Assembly, on November 12, in New York. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu was directly involved in the analysis of a very important international topic, the sea-level rise in relation to international law. The International Law Commission was established by the General Assembly in 1947, to initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of encouraging the progressive development of international law. It is made up of 34 international law experts.

PROSECUTOR – The chief of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi, has lost the court case against the Higher Magistracy Council in Bucharest. The High Court of Cassation and Justice has issued a definitive ruling against Kovesi, who no longer holds the professional rank of prosecutor with the General Prosecutor’s Office and returns to the one of prosecutor with the prosecutor’s office attached to the Tribunal. In 2018, the Prosecutors’ Section with the Higher Magistracy Council decided not to grant Kovesi promotion to the professional level of prosecutor with the General Prosecutor’s Office without a competition, which the former anti-graft chief required based on the fact that she had been Prosecutor-General of Romania.

NEGOTIATIONS — Representatives of the National Liberal Party (PNL), in power, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in opposition and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), partner of the party in power, managed to agree on most topics in the future governing programme, but talks continue to harmonise views on domains like justice, finance and economy. The Social Democrats insist on raising pensions and child allowances and on applying taxes on big fortunes to increase revenues to the state budget. The Liberals, on the other hand, are against bigger taxes and in favour of increased efforts to combat fiscal evasion. The dismantling of the Section for the Investigation of Crimes in the Justice System is another hot topic, the Social Democrats firmly opposing the idea. The parties also have to decide on the government makeup and the prime minister.

COURT – The European Commission decided on Friday to bring Romania again to the EU Court of Justice for not fully complying with a Court ruling from October 2018, in relation to its waste management obligations. In keeping with the ruling from 2018, Romania had the obligation to close down and upgrade 68 waste deposits operating without a license. This is the second time the European Commission notifies the Court about Romania failing to respect its obligations.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian was defeated on Friday evening by the American Alison Riske, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the final of the WTA tournament in Linz, Austria. The Romania, aged 23, has this week made it to the WTA top 100 for the first time in her career. (EE)