April 30, 2019

The campaign for European Parliament elections, scheduled for May 26, continues in Romania; Interim Minister of Justice Ana Birchall suspended on Monday the procedures to select a new General Prosecutor in Romania

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Daniela Budu, 30.04.2019, 13:23

ELECTIONS – The campaign for European Parliament elections, scheduled for May 26, continues in Romania. 13 political groups are in the running: governing ruling coalition members Social Democrats and the Alliance Liberals and Democrats and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, which has a collaboration protocol with the coalition. From the parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition, in the running are the National Liberal Party, the USR-PLUS Alliance, the National Popular Party, Pro Romania, a Social Democratic splinter. From outside Parliament, in the running are the UNPR, the National Unity Bloc, and the United Romania, PRODEMO, the Romanian Socialist, and the Independent Social Democratic parties. Three independents have also declared their candidacy. Romania will send 33 EuroMPs to Parliament. The 33rd MP can only take office after the Brexit comes into effect. Romanians abroad can go to 441 polling stations, most of them in Italy, Spain, and neighboring Moldova. On that same day, Romanians are called to vote in a justice referendum called by President Klaus Iohannis.

JUSTICE — Deputy Prime Minister and interim Minister of Justice Ana Birchall suspended on Monday the procedures to select a new General Prosecutor in Romania, as well as that for selecting the deputy prosecutor with Eurojust, the agency dealing with criminal cooperation between EU member states. She said that the procedures will resume soon. On April 10, the Justice Minister announced new procedures for selecting the General Prosecutor, after Minister Toader turned down all four candidates. According to the law, the minister forwards proposals for general prosecutors, which have to be approved by the Superior Council of Magistracy, and by President Iohannis.

PONTIFF – Hundreds of thousands of Romanians have registered on-line to attend the masses that Pope Francis will officiate in the country. They will be joined by faithful from neighboring Hungary, Serbia, and Ukraine. Also, they are joined by pilgrims from remote countries, such as Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa, Niger, Madagascar, Australia, Israel, Canada, Namibia, and Reunion. Pope Francis will go on a three day apostolic circuit, starting on May 31. He was invited to the country by President Klaus Iohannis and the local Catholic Church. The Pontiff will visit Iasi, a major city with a significant Roman Catholic population, and Blaj, the spiritual capital of Romanian Greek Catholics. While there, the Pope will beatify seven bishops killed in Communist political prisons. He will also consecrate the Franciscan shrine in Sumuleu Ciuc, a majority Hungarian locality. In 1999, Romania was the first majority Orthodox country in history to be visited by a Pontiff, Pope John Paul II.

HOLIDAY – Many Romanians continue their mini-holiday between Easter celebrations and the May Day holiday. The Christian faithful continue Easter celebrations, in their third day. At the Romanian seaside, 250 police officers have been mobilized. Dozens of regional transportation police are keeping watch in railway stations in Constanta County, where most resorts are. According to the Border Police, over 195,000 Romanian and foreign citizens have crossed the border in the last 24 hours, using around 48,000 vehicles.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan, 132nd seeded, qualified in the eighth finals in the WTA tournament in Rabat, Morocco, with a quarter million dollar total prize money, after defeating French player Alize Cornet, 54th seeded, 6-3, 6-3. This is her most important victory this year, and she moves on to play British Johanna Konta, 47th seeded, and Chinese Yafan Wang, 56th seeded. Ana Bogdan is also scheduled to play in the doubles in Rabat, alongside Bulgarian Isabela Shinikova, facing off against the Romanian/ Swiss pair Andreea Mitu/ Timea Bacsinszky.

LIGHTING — Exactly 162 years ago, Bucharest introduced public lighting using kerosene lamps. On 30 April, 1857, the Romanian capital became the first city in the world with such lighting. According to historians, the kerosene was made in the first industrial refinery, the Gas Factory in Ploiesti. 14 years later, in 1871, Bucharest had over 785 kerosene lamps. In early 20th century, the city had over 3,000 kerosene lamps, 990 mineral oil lamps, 400 natural gas lamps, and 200 electric lamps.