May 19, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 19.05.2023, 20:00

GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE – The structure of
the new government could be decided next week, Interior Minister Lucian Bode
says. For the time being, UDMR, a junior coalition partner, has not commented
on the proposed changes. According to the protocol signed by PSD, PNL and UDMR,
Social-Democrat Marcel Ciolacu is set to replace Liberal Nicolae Ciucă as the country’s
new Prime Minister. This is the first Prime Minister swap in the history of the
Romanian politics since 1989.

EDUCATION -The Senate’s committee on education must
submit its final conclusions regarding the undergraduate education bill on
Monday, the Senate leadership announced on Friday. On Friday, debates continued
over the education bill, the committee also passing a number of amendments
regulating access to education for children with special learning needs.
Schools will also need to ensure behavioral analysts and social workers to help
such pupils. No modifications were brought to the provisions on pupil transport
and the reduction of school dropout. Members of the education committees will
also vote on amendments concerning pupil evaluation. A final vote is scheduled
for next week in the Senate.

STRIKE – Chamber of
Deputies Speaker Marcel Ciolacu said strike actions in the education system
should be avoided, expressing willingness to discuss with education trade union
leaders over the weekend in order to avoid Monday’s planned strike. In a
Facebook post, Ciolacu said he discussed with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, who
is also open to dialogue. Politicians and unionists must show responsibility
and lucidity and focus on solutions to keep children in schools, Marcel Ciolacu
also argued. The Romanian official said the strike will produce chaos,
disrupting not just school activity, but also the lives of millions of
families. We recall education trade unions have called an all-out strike on May
22, protesting work conditions and salaries.

OPERATION – Romanian navy
military serving on the Kind Ferdinand frigate have carried out complex
actions in the Mediterranean jointly with other EU naval groups under the aegis
of the EUNAVFOR MED IRINI Operation, held over May 13-19. Training drills in
all areas of activity were also carried out on board, from vital standard actions
and communication exercises, to enemy attack response drills and live ammo
target practice. Daytime and nighttime surveillance flights were also carried
out to monitor maritime traffic and training drills using the Puma Naval
helicopter on board. The King Ferdinand frigate docked in the port of
Catania, Italy on Friday for refitting ahead of the upcoming missions in the
EUNAVFOR MED IRINI Operation.

RALLY IN MOLDOVA – European
Parliament president Roberta Metsola will attend Sunday’s European Moldova
rally in Chișinău, held in support of the European integration of the Republic
of Moldova. Attending the rally in the Great National Assembly Square in
Chișinău will be Moldovans from both at home and abroad. The rally will
occasion the adoption of a resolution confirming citizens’ support for
Moldova’s European track. The event is held ahead of the European Political
Community Summit to be held in Chișinău on June 1.

RADIATION – The latest
explosions in Ukraine have not produced an increase in radiation levels across
Romania, the National Environment Protection Agency has announced. In an online
post, Agency representatives said Romanians have no reason to worry in this
respect, as the latest measurements fall within normal values. The announcement
follows a piece of information launched by Russian Security Council Secretary
Nikolay Patrushev, who argued that the destruction of depleted uranium
munitions supplied by the West to Ukraine has caused a radioactive cloud that
is drifting towards Europe.

SANCTIONS – The US and their G7 allies Friday
announced new sanctions to reduce Russia’s ability to carry on its war in
Ukraine. The sanctions, which target Russia’s highly profitable diamond
exports, were decided right ahead of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Diamond
exports, mainly to the UAE, India and EU member state Belgium, earn Moscow
several billion US dollars a year. An EU official said India’s joining the new
set of sanctions would be crucial. Invited to attend the summit in Hiroshima is
also the Indian PM Narendra Modi, whose country has strong ties with Moscow and
has been reluctant so far to condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (AMP
& VP)