August 24, 2023

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 24.08.2023, 13:55

GOVERNMENT – The government will seek
Parliament’s vote of confidence for the law package reforming the government
structure and laying out new fiscal equalization and tax fraud regulations. Prime
Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Romania needs a fair fiscal system. The
squandering of public funds, tax evasion and circumventing aggregate taxing prevent
Romania from further developing, the Romanian official said, adding that the
talks he had in recent weeks clearly showed the country is in need of
in-depth reforms. On the other hand, representatives of the Solidarity
Federation of Trade Unions in the fiscal sector are today meeting with Finance
Minister Marcel Boloș. Talks follow Tuesday’s protest action in front of the
Finance Ministry. Unionists want to preserve their jobs, revenues and status.
On August 11, over 15,000 employees in the fiscal administration launched spontaneous
protests, disgruntled with the government’s measures to cut public spending,
which could affect over 22,000 people in this sector.

UKRAINE – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu
has conveyed Romania’s best intentions and support for Ukraine’s efforts to
regain peace and freedom in a message marking the Independence Day in Ukraine.
For the second consecutive year, Ukraine celebrates Independence Day fighting
for freedom and its legitimate right to choose its own destiny. For a year and
a half now, the Ukrainian people are resisting the Russian aggression with
great courage, supported by the strong solidarity of the international
community. Romania has had an extremely important contribution, the message
reads. At the same time, Marcel Ciolacu pointed out that in the meeting he had
with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal in Bucharest, as well as on the
sidelines of the meeting of heads of state and government from South-Eastern
Europe and the Western Balkans, also attended by president Volodymyr Zelensky,
he reiterated Romania’s firm support for Ukraine. We will stand with Ukraine
and the Ukrainian people until victory is achieved and the territorial
integrity is restored, as well as in the following period, during the
reconstruction of the country, the Romanian official said.

PRIGOZHIN – The leader of the Wagner PMC
Yevgeny Prigozhin, his deputy and eight other passengers were reportedly killed
in a private plane crash on Wednesday in Russia. The Russian Federal Agency for
Air Transport announced the plane crashed in Tver region, north-west of Moscow.
On Monday, Prigozhin appeared in a video posted on social media by groups close
to Wagner, saying he was in Africa. Prigozhin started an uprising in June
against the Russian Defense Staff and the Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu. In
Ukraine, Prigozhin stood out during the fight for Bakhmut in the east, where
Wagner mercenaries, mostly recruited from Russian penitentiaries, reclaimed the
city in May, sustaining heavy casualties. During the battle, Prigozhin’s
conflict with the Russian high command escalated, the Wagner mercenary boss
accusing Russian generals of incompetence and the failure of delivering
additional ammo to Wagner troops. The Wagner private military company is also
engaged in numerous theatres of operations in Africa, including the Central
African Republic, Mali or Libya.

INVESTIGATION – The Deputy Chief of the
Constanța County Police
Inspectorate, the head of the county’s road traffic department and the police
chiefs of Mangalia and Vama Veche have been sacked in the wake of the
investigation in last week’s car crash. A young man under the influence of
drugs crashed his car into a group of people in 2 Mai seacoast resort, killing
two and injuring another three. The Government’s control body discovered
irregularities of criminal nature in the reaction of three police officers who
verified the documents and took legal action against the driver. The young man
had been stopped by the police earlier that night and although the agents
removed drugs from his vehicle, he was let off without undergoing a drug test.
The police officers could have tested the driver or take him to the nearest
medical unit to undergo a clinical exam and a blood test.

VOLLEY – The Romanian
women’s volleyball team on Saturday will play France in the European
Championship quarterfinals. Romania ranked 3rd in Group B after winning 3-1
against Croatia and 3-2 against Bosnia Herzegovina. The European Championships
take place over August 15 – September 3 in four countries – Belgium, Italy,
Estonia and Germany. At the 2021 edition held in Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and
Serbia, the Romanian side ranked second to last, 23. Romania’s best result in
the women’s European Championships was in 1963, when our team won bronze at
home.

FOOTBALL – The
Romanian champions Farul Constanța are today playing HJK Helsinki of
Finland in the first round of the Europa Conference League playoffs. Also
today, Romanian Cup winners Sepsi Sfântul Gheorghe are going up against Bodoe/Glimt of Norway at home.
The return legs are scheduled for next week. (VP)