April 19, 2017

Extradition procedure for Sebastian Ghita ready/ IMF estimates improved economic growth at global level/ UK Prime Minister Theresa asks for vote on snap election

Newsroom, 19.04.2017, 13:54

Extradition — The Romanian Justice Ministry has prepared the extradition procedure from Serbia of the former MP Sebastian Ghiţă, who was arrested before Easter. The justice minister, Tudorel Toader, explained that the extradition procedure would be initiated as soon as he received all the necessary documents from the Romanian courts that ruled on the arrest of the former MP. Searched by the Interpol, Sebastian Ghiţă has two arrest warrants issued on his name and he is being investigated in Romania in 5 corruption cases.

IMF report — The IMF estimates improved economic growth at global level, from 3.5% in 2017 as compared to 3.1% in 2016, while in 2018 the economic growth rate is estimated to reach 3.6%. Economic growth will be registered both in developed countries as well as in the developing and underdeveloped countries and consolidation will occur especially in the manufacturing industry and trade. For Romania, the IMF has revised upwards, from 3.8% to 4.2%, its estimates regarding the evolution of the Romanian economy in 2017, while for 2018 the IMF’s estimates for Romania’s economic growth rate stand at 3- 4%. According to the IMF report, in 2017 Romania will register the second biggest economic growth rate in Europe, being outrun only by Iceland (5.7%).

Snap elections London — UK Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday will call on the House of Commons to vote on her plan to hold a snap general election on June 8. She motivated her decision quoting Parliament’s lack of support for the government’s plan, as the UK prepares to negotiate its exit from the EU. To hold early elections the PM needs the votes of two thirds of the MPs. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the main opposition party, the Labour Party, said that he supported the initiative, which means, according to analysts, that the plan will be voted. Theresa May took over her office in July after David Cameron’s resignation, following Britons’ decision through the June 23 referendum to leave the EU.

Alert drill — In Romania continues the largest-scale alert and warning drill of the past years, which takes places across the whole of Romania’s territory until Friday. According to a pre-established schedule, sirens will be heard between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Firefighters will test all the 7,000 sirens across Romania, that were placed mainly in those areas with high technological or radioactive risk. The drill is meant to test the authorities’ speed of reaction and whether people hear the sirens in all coverage areas. Moreover, the drill tests people’s ability to react in case of flooding, technological accidents or armed conflicts.

Turkey referendum — The Turkish authorities have refused the EU’s request to launch a transparent investigation into allegations of irregularities during Sunday’s referendum giving the president sweeping powers. The monitors of the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe said that the vote “took place on an unlevel playing field” and it did not observe the standards of the Council of Europe. The main opposition party in Turkey called for the cancellation of the referendum result because many voting ballots without official stamps were counted. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, won the referendum expanding his powers by a narrow margin, which could allow him to stay in power for another 12 years. His plans after the victory focus on concentrating power in the hands of the president, on scrapping the position of prime minister, electing the high-ranking magistrates and dissolving Parliament.

Visit — The First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, will pay an official visit to Romania on Thursday. The European official will meet with Romanian high-ranking officials, leaders of parliamentary parties as well as with the partners in the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification from the judiciary. At the end of his visit, Frans Timmermans will also talk with civil society representatives on such issues as the White Paper on the future of Europe, the anniversary of 60 years since the signing of the Rome treaties and of 10 years since Romania joined the EU. (translation by L.Simion)