May 28, 2014
A look at some of the main stories in Romania today
România Internațional, 28.05.2014, 12:00
The Danube water level on the Romanian section has grown in the south-east of the country, where a flash flood originating in Serbia is expected today. In Galati, the river has flooded several parts of the city’s shipyard and beachfront, while in Braila, leaks have been identified in the dam protecting the city. According to experts, a flood alert on the Danube remains in place until the end of the month.
The leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party in the centre-right opposition in Bucharest today voted in favour of an alliance with the National Liberal Party. The decision comes amid talks by the leaders of the two parties aimed at creating a common front against the left-wing Social Democratic Party, the main party in the government coalition. The left-wing alliance made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Conservative Party comfortably won Sunday’s European elections in Romania with 37% of the votes. The Liberals came in second with 15%, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 12%. The independent candidate Mircea Diaconu, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, in the government, and the pro-presidential People’s Movement Party each won around 6% of the votes. The Central Election Bureau will analyse any possible contestations and establish the distribution of Romania’s 32 seats in the European Parliament by Thursday, when the final results of the vote are to be published.
Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini is paying an official visit to Romania following an invitation from her counterpart Titus Corlatean. According to the foreign ministry in Bucharest, the visit marks the 135th anniversary of establishing bilateral diplomatic relations and will be used to reconfirm the excellent relationship between the two countries within the Consolidated Strategic Partnership. The two foreign ministers will also tackle European issues ahead of Italy’s taking over the chairmanship of the EU Council in the second half of the year.
Prince Charles of Great Britain continues his private visit to several counties in Transylvania, central Romania. Today, he travels to Zalan Valley, in Covasna, where he owns a number of properties. The prince is involved in the conservation of several Saxon villages in Transylvania founded in the 12th century, some of which are on the UNESCO world heritage list.
The Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu today meets Paula Ormaechea of Argentina in the second round of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament. Two other Romanian players, Simona Halep and Sorana Carstea have already qualified for the second round in the women’s singles.
The 9th Bookfest International Book Fair has got under way in Bucharest today. The fair, which comes to an end on June 1st, features 300 different events and brings together 200 publishers. The guest country this year is Poland. As a first this year, books for children and teenagers will be launched as part of a new programme entitled Bookfest Junior, as well as book signings, and drawing and acting workshops for children.
