13 May, 2019

A roundup of some of the main stories in Romania today.

Newsroom, 13.05.2019, 14:00

Eastern Partnership. Romania’s
president Klaus Iohannis attends a meeting in Brussels of the Eastern
Partnership countries held on the 10th anniversary of this
initiative. According to the president’s office, Klaus Iohannis is expected to
emphasise that the partnership has contributed to the consolidation of the economies
and societies of the Eastern states and the expansion of stability on the EU
borders. The Romanian president will also highlight that the EU expects
continual political commitment from its partner states with regard to
compliance with the pledges made. The Eastern Partnership is an initiative that
consists in the creation of a common area of democracy, prosperity, stability
and close cooperation between the EU and the partner states, namely Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The meeting
in Brussels is attended by the president of the European Council Donald Tusk,
the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, the Union’s high representative
for foreign affairs and security policy Federica Mogherini and the president of
the European Parliament Antonio Tajani.

EU foreign affairs. The Romanian foreign minister Teodor
Melescanu today attends a meeting of the EU foreign affairs council. The agenda
of talks features issues such as the situation in Libya and the Sub-Saharan
African region of Sahel. The Romanian official will also attend various
activities held in connection to the 10th anniversary of the Eastern
Partnership. On Tuesday, EU foreign and defence ministers will hold a joint
session with their counterparts in the G5 Sahel countries, namely Burkina Faso,
Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

Military exercise. The European Spartan 2019 military
exercise is taking place at the 90th Airlift Base in Otopeni, in the
south, in the context of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU.
According to a statement from the Romanian defence ministry, the exercise,
which will come to an end on the 24th of May, forms part of a series
of activities planned and organised by the European Defence Agency and the
Romanian Air Force within the European Air Transport Fleet programme, being
designed as a multinational training event in the field of transport aviation.
Romania takes part in the exercise alongside Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania and
Slovakia, as well as observers from other states owning Spartan aircraft in
Europe and from the US and Australia.

European elections. The campaign for the European
elections on the 26th of May continues in Romania. 13 political
parties are in the race: the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats, both in the ruling coalition; the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, who have an agreement of parliamentary
collaboration with the government; the opposition parties: the National Liberal
Party, the USR-PLUS Alliance, the People’s Movement Party and Pro Romania, whose
members are defectors from the Social Democratic Party; as well as the
extra-parliamentary parties: the National Union for the Progress of Romania,
the National Unity Bloc and United Romania, Prodemo, the Romanian Socialist
Party and the Independent Social Democratic Party. Three independent candidates
are also in the race. Romania has 33 seats in the future European Parliament,
but the 33rd seat is awarded when the UK’s withdrawal comes into
effect. 441 polling stations have been put in place for the Romanians living
abroad, mostly in Italy, Spain and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova. A
referendum on justice called by president Klaus Iohannis will also be held on
the same day as the European elections.

Migrant trafficking. Romania’s
Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism today searched the
homes of suspected members of a migrant trafficking network in the counties of
Timis and Arad, in western Romania, which was part of an international group.
Searches were conducted at 15 different addresses, with the result that 12
migrants were found. The leader of the group in Romania, a Syrian citizen, was
found in Timisoara. Investigators say the network, which includes both Romanian
and foreign nationals, took migrants wishing to reach western Europe across the
border using cargo trucks. The migrants, who come from countries such as Syria,
Afghanistan and Iraq, paid 10,000 euros to reach the destination. 20 people are
under investigation for trafficking migrants and creating a specialised crime
group.

Olympiad. Romanian pupils won six
silver medals at the 17th edition of the European Union Science
Olympiad (EUSO) held between the 4th and the 11th of May
in the Portuguese town of Almada. This event is a multidisciplinary team
competition. Each country sends two three-member teams. The participants have
to work together to solve a practical 4-hour task in three disciplines,
biology, chemistry and physics. This year’s edition has brought together 50
teams from 24 countries.

Eurovision. The 64th
Eurovision song contest is taking place this week in Tel Aviv. Ester Peony,
Romania’s representative, will sing a song entitled On a Sunday in the second
semifinal held on the 16th of May. The first semifinal takes place
on Tuesday, while the final is scheduled for the 18th.
Representatives of 14 countries are in competition this year.

Football. CFR Cluj mathematically won a new title as
Romanian football champions. On Sunday night, they defeated Universitatea Craiova 1-nil at home
in the last but one leg of League One Group 1 and have five points ahead of the
runner-up FCSB with one leg to go. This is CFR’s fifth championship title in the
club’s history and the second in a row. On the 25th of May, the
former champions Astra Giurgiu and Viitorul Constanta will play the Romanian
Cup final for the first time.