November 3, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 03.11.2024, 19:18
Visit. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday begins a working visit to France, where is he due to meet his counterpart Michel Barnier and representatives of the Romanian community in France. According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, Ciolacu is due to visit the 29th edition of the EURONAVAL naval defence exhibition on Monday. The Romanian delegation also includes deputy prime minister Marian Neacşu, foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu, defence minister Angel Tîlvăr, labour minister Simona Bucura-Oprescu, honorary advisor to the prime minister and first vice-president of the European Parliament Victor Negrescu and Hidroelectrica CEO, Borbely Karoly.
Floods. Seven Romanian nationals of the 16 previously reported missing in the floods in Spain are safe, said the foreign ministry in Bucharest. Through the Romanian embassy in Madrid and the Romanian consulate in Castellon de la Plana, the ministry is verifying information about the other 9 Romanian citizens who are missing in the wake of the recent floods. The Romanian diplomats in Spain are monitoring the latest developments closely and are in permanent contact with the Spanish authorities and with the Romanian citizens who reported the missing cases and are ready to provide consular assistance where needed. Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez has requested assistance from the European Union to help the country recover from what he described as “the gravest floods our continent has seen this century”. He said thousands of military will help clear the roads and distribute aid. So far, the floods have caused the death of 217 people, including a Romanian national, and dozens are still missing. The Spanish media also reported on a Romanian family killed in the floods in La Torre, near Valencia.
EU. Beginning on Monday, the European Parliament is holding the hearings of commissioners-designate for Ursula von der Leyen’s future Commission. MEPs will assess their competence, independence and commitment to European values. According to the timetable published by the European Parliament, the hearings will end on 12th November, when the 6 nominees for the post of executive vice-president of the Commission will be interviewed. This includes Romania’s Roxana Mînzatu, who is designated to be in charge of people, skills and preparedness. The entire European Commission must receive the confirmation of the European Parliament, with the vote being scheduled for the plenary session to be held between the 25th and the 28th November in Strasbourg. After being confirmed by Parliament, the Commission must be officially appointed by the EU Council, with a qualified majority, namely 55% of member states, accounting for at least 65% of EU’s population.
