April 26, 2016

Last day for submitting candidacies in June local elections...

Newsroom, 26.04.2016, 12:00

ELECTIONS – In Romania, today is the deadline for parties, election alliances, ethnic minority organisations and independent runners to submit their candidacies for the local elections. Candidacies may be challenged until May 1, and remain final as of May 4. The election campaign begins on May 6 and ends on June 4, one day before the elections. Competing in the local elections are established political parties like the Social Democrats, the Liberals, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats or the Peoples Movement Party, as well as many new parties, given that as of last year the Romanian legislation allows for political parties to be set up by at least 3 members. It is for the third time since 1989 that a technocratic government organises elections in Romania, after the Theodor Stolojan Cabinet in 1991-1992, and the Mugur Isărescu Cabinet in 1999-2000.

NEGOTIATIONS – The authorities in Bucharest carry on talks with trade unions on a new emergency order concerning salaries in the public sector. The Labour Minister, Dragoş Pîslaru, has announced that the priority in these negotiations is to do away with imbalances in the system. The order on public sector salaries is to be subject to public debate starting mid-May and to take effect as of June 1. In the last three-party meeting, the main trade union federations demanded an increase of all public sector salaries, instead of only the smaller ones, as the Government intends, and warned that otherwise protests might be resumed.

LOAN – The Romanian Senate endorsed a law concerning a 150 million euro loan to be granted by Romania to the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, for the financing of the countrys budget deficit. Last November, the law was sent back to Parliament by President Klaus Iohannis, against the backdrop of political tensions in Chisinau and of uncertainties related to the implementation of the reforms. The loan is to be transferred in maximum three instalments.

COLECTIV – The interim Prosecutor General of Romania, Bogdan Licu, announced the opening of a criminal investigation into the leaking of information in the Colectiv case, after a few days ago mass media published a copy of the indictment. The Colectiv case, concerning the fire that killed 64 people last October in a nightclub in Bucharest, is to be tried in the forthcoming period. According to the information made public by the media, six people are reportedly sent to court: the three owners of the nightclub, two pyrotechnicians and the owner of a fireworks company. The tragedy was followed by large-scale street protests, which led to the resignation of PM Victor Ponta.

THEATRE – Romania is hosting for the first time the award gala of the Europe Theatre Prize. This year the prize goes to the Swedish choreographer and director Mats Ek, while a special award will be presented to the Romanian director Silviu Purcărete. Established in 1986, as a European Commission pilot project, and granted for the first time in 1987, the Europe Theatre Prize rewards artists and theatre institutions that contribute to better understanding among Europes nations.

CHERNOBYL – Ukraine commemorates today 30 years since the worst nuclear accident in history, the explosion of one reactor in the Chernobyl nuclear plant. During the 10-day fire that followed, huge amounts of radioactive substances were spread in the atmosphere. There are no official data concerning the total number of victims, but 25,000 people are known to have died in decontamination operations alone. According to experts, the death toll is a lot higher. A UN survey indicates that nearly 5 million people affected by radiation exposure still live in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu is facing today the Dutch Richel Hogenkamp, in the first round of the Rabat tournament in Morocco, with 230,000 US dollars in prize money. In the same round, another Romanian, Andreea Mitu, plays today against New Zealands Marina Erakovic. A third Romanian player taking part in the competition Monday lost her match against Russian Ekaterina Makarova, in two sets.