February 6, 2020 UPDATE

NOMINATION - Romania's President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday designated Liberal Ludovic Orban as Prime Minister following consultations with parliamentary parties. The previous Orban Cabinet was removed from office on Wednesday after it did not survive a censure motion filed by the Social-Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. The motion was triggered by the Government's choice to take responsibility over the return to the two-round local election system. President Iohannis says his main option is to let voters decide by organizing early legislative elections. After consultations with the President, the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union also shared the president's option. The Social-Democratic Party and Pro Romania Party nominated Remus Pricopie, a former minister. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians did not nominate a candidate and said they would not support the Social-Democrats' candidate. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats didn't nominate a candidate either, although they agreed to holding early elections. The People's Movement Party on Sunday will decide whether it supports early legislative elections.

EPPO - European Chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi on Thursday addressed the European Parliament, calling for an increase in the budget of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. It is estimated some 2,000 new cases will be investigated in the first year of activity. Kovesi said the main two parameters to be defined are the number of European delegate prosecutors in each Member State and the number of employees at the EPPO central in Luxembourg. The decision on the budget is not just for financial experts, but equally important to policians. Kovesi refered to a recent report estimating VAT fraud at EU level at around 60 billion euros every year. I think it is worth investing in the EPPO, Kovesi concluded.

FED CUP - Romania will take on Russia in the Fed Cup on Friday and Saturday in Cluj. Elena Gabriela Ruse (166 WTA) will play Ekaterina Alexandrova (28 WTA) in the first singles match. In the second match on Friday, Ana Bogdan (90 WTA) will play Veronika Kudermetova (38 WTA). On Saturday, Ana Bogdan will play Ekaterina Alexandrova, while in the last singles match Elena Gabriela Ruse will take on Veronika Kudermetova. The doubles match will pit the pair made up of Irina Bara (98 WTA) and Raluca Olaru (47 WTA) against Ana Blinkova (63 WTA) and Ana Kalinskaya (95 WTA). The match will decide which team qualifies to the final tournament in Budapest, to be held over Aril 14-19. Simona Halep, world no. 2, will not represent Romania in the Fed Cup this year, as she has begun preparing for the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year. Romania has never played Russia in the Fed Cup before, although it played the USSR twice, losing both games.

FLU VIRUS - Romania has reported a 99% increase in the number of flu virus infections in the past week, and the authorities have declared a flu epidemic, for the second year in a row. The number of flu infections has exceeded 7,000, and a total of 18 people have been killed by the virus, the National Center for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases reports. The latest victims are a 1 and a half year-old child and a 49-year-old woman. Both had a medical history and had not taken the anti-flu shot.

CORONAVIRUS - A ship with 17 Romanians on board has been quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama, after several cases of cornoavirus infections were reported, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has announced. According to the same sources, the Romanian embassy in Tokyo has been notified by the Foreign Ministry in Japan. Out of the Romanians on board, two are tourists and 15 crew members. Romania's consulate in Hong Kong has asked for information from the local authorities on the situation of the Romanians on board of a ship moored in that port. No case of coronoavirus infection has been reported in Romania so far. 

WEATHER - A code yellow alert is in place until Saturday morning against heavy snowfalls and blizzards targeting the north, center and east, with strong wind expected in the mountains. The recent snowfalls and blizzards affected most of Romania's territory, disrupting road, rail and air traffic and causing blackouts, with several school having been shut down. 

(Translated by V. Palcu)