A roundup of the week's main stories
The government reshuffle is postponed
The new ministers for labour, defence, economy, culture, communications and youth and sport were sworn in on Tuesday before president Klaus Iohannis, who issued the reshuffle decree taking into account the proposals of the Social Democratic Party, the main force in the ruling coalition. Iohannis postponed however making a decision on the changes proposed by the Social Democrats for the posts of transport and development ministers. The president said the changes earlier this week won't be followed by others, at least not until after National Day on 1st December. He said he was not pleased with the fact that in two years since it came to power, the ruling coalition has replaced about 70 ministers, which in his opinion is too much. Klaus Iohannis:
"There won't be another change of ministers this week, and this new proposed reshuffle, coming after another reshuffle, won't be analysed until after the celebrations dedicated to the Centenary and the National Day, at the earliest."
President Klaus Iohannis has also rejected the proposal of the justice minister Tudorel Toader to appoint Adina Florea as chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate. Florea has also earlier received a negative opinion from the Superior Council of Magistracy. The Council's opinion is advisory. The post of chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate has been vacant since July, when the president dismissed its former occupant, Laura Codruta Kovesi, in keeping with a Constitutional Court ruling.
European Parliament officials paid visit to Bucharest
"We want Romania's first-time presidency of the EU Council to be a success not only for Romania but for the whole Union", said in Bucharest the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani. At the meeting of the EP Conference of Presidents with the Romanian government, held in the run-up to Romania's taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on January 1, 2019, the European official stated that Romania's Schengen accession should be accelerated. Brexit, the post 2020 multiannual budget, preparations for the future summit to be held in Sibiu (central Romania) that will set the guidelines for the Union's future, the elections for the European Parliament are some of the issues Romania will have to deal with as president of the EU Council. The Romanian authorities presented the four big themes of its six-month mandate: a cohesive Europe, a Europe with a bigger global role, a safe Europe and a Europe of values. They have given assurances that Romania is ready to take over the EU Council presidency, have reiterated their openness to dialogue and cooperation with the European institutions and have pointed out that Romania wants to contribute to promoting the common European agenda in a constructive spirit based on consensus.
Joint government meeting
The governments of Romania and the Republic of Moldova Thursday held a joint meeting in Bucharest, attended by the Moldovan PM and ministers in charge of mutual interest sectors. The parties signed several cooperation agreements in the field of tourism, environment and telecoms, and discussed means to encourage Romanian investments in the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian PM Viorica Dancila discussed ministry-level cooperation and said the Romanian ministers' participation in events or talks in Chisinau would bring the 2 countries a lot closer together. Dăncilă reiterated that European accession was the only solution for the Republic of Moldova and for the prosperity of its citizens. In turn, the Moldovan PM Pavel Filip believes statements regarding the Union of Moldova and Romania are a new trend in Chisinau, and cautioned that the topic must be approached in a pragmatic manner. Pavel Filip pleaded instead for a common energy, transport, defence and security, and cultural space. The Moldovan official also announced that on December 1, Romania's National Day, Moldovan citizens will not be charged for mobile roaming calls to Romania, and thanked Bucharest for the plans to sign an agreement reducing mobile roaming fees.
RadiRo in Bucharest
RadiRo, the only festival of radio orchestras in the world is running in Bucharest until Sunday. Eight symphonic concerts, and as a premiere for the RadiRo Festival, four jazz concerts, have been given this week. The guests of the fourth edition of the festival have been outstanding international orchestras and prominent conductors and soloists. The oldest European radio orchestra, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra (Germany) has returned onto the stage of the festival this year, and three other famous orchestras are performing at the Radio Concerts Hall for the first time: the BBC Philharmonic (Great Britain), L'Orchestra de la Svizzera Italiana (Lugano, Switzerland) and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland). All concerts given during the festival have been broadcast live by Radio Romania, recorded and later broadcast by the Romanian Television Company as well as by other radio broadcasters that are EBU members.
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