A roundup of domestic and international news
BUDGET - The Constitutional Court of Romania announced it has received the notification filed by the Social-Democratic Party regarding the manner in which the Government adopted the state budget for 2020 and the modifications operated to the emergency decree no. 114. The Court expects opinions by January 10 from all parties, and will issue a date for the subsequent debate. The Government has passed the budget law in Parliament without a debate and a vote, arguing it needed a balanced budget that could be adopted by the year's end. The Government accepted several amendments, although none tabled by the Social-Democrats.
CONVICTIONS - Former Liberal Chamber of Deputies Speaker, Bogdan Olteanu was earlier today sentenced by the Bucharest Tribunal to seven years in prison for influence peddling, in a case where he was charged with receiving 1 million euros from a businessman. The court also ordered the seizure of an equivalent in local currency of the peddled sum. In another move, former Social-Democrat deputy Viorel Hrebenciuc was sentenced to three years in prison in a case where the former head of the National Audio-Visual Council, Laura Georgescu, was also sentenced to 4 years and 4 months in prison. In the same case, Gheorghe Stefan, the former Liberal mayor of Piatra Neamt, and Narcisa Iorga, a former member of the Audio-Visual Council, were also handed down prison sentences. The rulings can be appealed.
RATIFICATION - Romania's President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday signed the decree ratifying the law on declaring November 1 National Radio Day. Central and local authorities can organize cultural and scientific events to mark this special day or provide logistic or financial support to NGOs and other institutions that organize similar events, the law stipulates. The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation and the Romanian Television Station can include in their programmes shows and excerpts from events dedicated to this day as public broadcasters. In 2019 the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation celebrated 91 years of uninterrupted public service.
FUNDS - The European Commission has disbursed some 16 million euros to Romania. The funds are non-refundable and serve as compensations for the losses incurred this year due to the African swine fever virus. The president of the National Sanitary, Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, Robert Chioveanu, says the authorities have presented the Commission with all the measures taken to combat the virus, as well as the challenges the authorities were faced with in their efforts to eradicate it. The Romanian official said that, in the last two weeks, some 10,000 checks were carried out in traffic in order to limit the circulation of livestock, especially pigs. Fines were handed out, dozens of pigs were seized in addition to some 2 thousand kg of meat products.
CHRISTMAS EVE - Orthodox, Eastern-Catholic and Roman-Catholic Christians in Romania today celebrate Christmas Eve, making all the final preparations ahead of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. On Christmas Eve people go caroling, which involves singing ceremonial songs, accompanied by various dances and gestures. Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Daniel has highlighted the importance of family, which is often confronted in present-day society with a series of challenges and crises, determined by poverty, migration, depression and alcohol and drug consumption. In turn, His Holy Father the Archbishop of the Bucharest Roman-Catholic Bishopric Ioan Robu says Jesus is born even in today's world, such as it is. The High Bishop of the Eastern Catholic Church in Romania, Cardinal Lucian, also says the blood shed in the name of faith and liberty compels us to take a stand whenever the rights and liberties of the underprivileged are being discarded. Recalling the words of Pope Francis during his visit to Romania, Cardinal Lucian has called for fraternity and dialogue among Christians.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
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