November 2, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 02.11.2024, 19:36
FLOOD According to authorities in Bucharest every Romanian national in the Spanish regions affected by the latest flooding will be able to benefit consular and logistic support by means of Romania’s diplomatic representations. Bucharest is effectively cooperating with the Spanish authorities to set up a rapid and effective mechanism for the repatriation of those willing to return to Romania if need be. Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is expected to meet his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez in a couple of days for talks over the setting up of a logistic centre to help the Romanian nationals affected by flooding in Spain. On Saturday Ciolacu said that a crisis management cell had been created by the Foreign Ministry, but a logistic centre would be also set up jointly with the Spanish authorities. Rescue teams in Spain are making it to the areas blocked by catastrophic flooding where the death toll has reached 211, including four Romanians. One of the victims has been confirmed by the Romanian authorities while a family with a child has been mentioned by the Spanish press. Nine Romanians are reported missing in Spain and the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest is verifying the information about them. The Romanian Embassy in Madrid and the consulate in Castellon de la Plana are in permanent contact with the Spanish authorities. The region of Valencia, in south-eastern Spain, has been affected by devastating floods, experts have deemed as unprecedented. Spain has declared three days of national mourning.
ELECTION The ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova will be seeing the second round of its presidential election on Sunday. The incumbent pro-European president, Maia Sandu, will be running against the pro-Russian Alexandr Stoianoglo. The first round on October 20 was held concurrently with a referendum on the country’s EU accession and was marked by attempted frauds sponsored by Russia and the runaway oligarch Ilan Şor, who had fled the country in an attempt to avoid a prison sentence. In the first round of voting Maia Sandu got 42.49% and Alexandr Stoianoglo 25.95%. In another development the Constitutional Court has validated the referendum on the country’s EU accession after 50.38% of the Moldovans voted in favour. The Republic of Moldova submitted its EU accession candidacy in March 2022 and the EU kicked off accession negotiations with the former soviet republic in June this year.
MOLDOVA In an interview to Radio Romania, the country’s Foreign Minister, Luminita Odobescu, has highlighted the importance of the presidential election in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet, Romanian-speaking country, both from the voters’ point of view and also from Bucharest’s desire to have a trustworthy dialogue partner in Chisinau. The Romanian minister has also said the Moldovans must vote not only with their hearts but also with their minds for a better future and to bring the republic where it belongs, namely in the European Union. Like in the first round of voting, 16 polling stations will be open in Romania; three in Bucharest, two in Cluj, western Romania and Iasi, in eastern Romania. The cities of Brasov, Sibiu, Timisoara, Craiova, Oradea, Suceava, Bacau, Galati and Constanta each will have one polling station. Moldovan citizens can cast their ballots in Romania by producing an ID or passport between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
AUDITION The European Parliament’s specialized committees on Monday are expected to commence the audition of the designated European Commissioners. On this occasion the MEPs are going to assess the commissioners’ competences, independence and their attachment to European values, essential elements to serve as members of the new European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen. According to the schedule announced by the European Parliament, the auditions are to end on 12 November, a day when the six executive vice-presidents of the future Commission, including Romanian Roxana Mînzatu who holds the portfolio, ‘People, competences, training’, will have to answer a series of questions. The entire European Commission will have to get greenlight from the European Parliament, the vote being scheduled for the plenary session of 25-28 November in Strasbourg. After getting Parliament confirmation, the European Commission will have to be officially appointed by the European Council through voting. The commission must have the yes-votes of 55% of the member states.
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