September 22, 2013
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Corina Cristea, 22.09.2013, 13:40
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta is due to pay official visits to Finland and Lithuania on Monday and Tuesday respectively. The visits are aimed at strengthening political dialogue and boosting economic cooperation. In Finland, the Prime Minister will meet with his Finish counterpart Jyrki Katainen and Parliament Speaker Eero Heinalouma. Ponta is also expected to attend an economic Forum. In Lithuania, a country currently holding the six-month rotating presidency of the EU, Victor Ponta will meet with his counterpart Algirdas Butkevicius and Parliament Speaker Vydas Gedvilas, but also with representatives of the business community.
Medical staff will continue their protests in September as announced, while on Monday the Health and Finance ministries will be picketed, the president of the Romanian College of Physicians Vasile Astarastoae said following his meeting with Health Minister Eugen Nicolaescu. Astarastoae said no agreement had been reached with respect to doubling residents’ salaries and accused the health system of becoming increasingly politicised. Health Minister Eugen Nicolaescu said a series of solutions and options are on the table, but the biggest problem of all is doubling the salaries of medical residents, a decision which does not depend on his ministry alone. Doctors and nurses threaten to go on an all-out strike and say they would trigger a wave of mass resignations unless their demands are met.
On Sunday protests were staged in Bucharest and other cities in Romania against the gold mining project at Rosia Montana. Thousands of people on Saturday evening joined hands to form a human chain around the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest in the third week of protests against this project. Among others, people are calling for the withdrawal of the draft law from Parliament and for banning all cyanide-based exploitations in Romania. They also want Rosia Montana to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On the other hand, those who support the project say itwould create thousands of jobs and would solve the economic and social problems in the area.
Romania’s president Traian Basescu on Sunday notified the Constitutional Court regarding the Referendum Law, arguing that the law contains certain provisions that are in breach of the Constitution, with respect to exerting sovereignty by the Romanian people. The president believes that lowering the minimum voter turnout required to validate the referendum to 30% violates the fundamental law. According to the President’s Office, the Constitution defines the notion of majority as 50% plus 1 of the total number of citizens. The Romanian Chamber of Deputies in late May adopted the draft law concerning the lowering of the voter turnout threshold from 50% to 30%.
Czech Senate Speaker Milan Štech will pay an official visit to Romania. The visit is aimed at consolidating political and economic relations between the two countries. The Czech official will meet with Romanian president Traian Basescu and with Senate Speaker Crin Antonescu and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Valeriu Zgonea. In addition, Milan Štech will meet with representatives of the business community with a view to strengthening bilateral economic cooperation.
Famous Romanian-born Italian pianist and composer Roman Vlad passed away on Saturday in Rome at the age of 93. A world-class musician, Roman Vlad composed numerous symphonic, chamber and theatre works. In 1950 he composed the soundtrack for the film “La beaute du diable”, produced by famous French filmmaker Rene Clair. He was the artistic director of La Scala theatre in Milan between 1995 and 1996 and of the Opera Theatre in Rome.
Two Romanian films have been included in the 61st edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival, taking place until September 28 in Spain. Calin Peter Netzer’s “Child Pose” and “Tudor Cristian Jurgiu’s “The Japanese Dog” will be screened as part of the festival. This year’s Golden Bear Award Winner, “Child’s Pose” will also represent Romania in the 2014 Oscar nominations in the “Best Foreign Film” category. In turn, “The Japanese Dog” marks Tudor Cristian Jurgiu’s debute feature. Another Romanian presence at the San Sebastian Festival is actress Olimpia Melinte, who features in the Spanish production “Cannibal”.
