December 10, 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 10.12.2019, 13:55
PRESIDENT – In the three decades since the fall of communism, the Romanian justice system has made huge progress, not only in terms of legislation and institutions, but also at the level of society, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has said at a meeting of the Higher Defence Council. Looking back, Iohannis went on to say, 2019 will remain in collective memory as the year when citizens protected, through vote in the May 26 referendum, the independence of the judiciary against systematic attempts of weakening it. The result of the referendum shows that every time the democratic values are disregarded, Romanians react, Iohannis has said.
SHOOTING – Six people were killed in a shooting at Ostrava City Hospital in the north-east of the Czech Republic this morning. Armed police found the suspect dead from a self-inflicted gunshot in a nearby vehicle after the attack. Part of the hospital was initially locked down. Prime Minister Andrej Babis confirmed that six people had been killed and that the shootings occurred at close range in a hospital waiting room.
PROTESTS – Large scale protests have been scheduled for today in France, over French President Emmanuel Macrons planned pension reforms. Workers are angry about the prospect of retiring later or facing reduced payouts. France currently has 42 different pension schemes across its private and public sectors, with variations in retirement age and benefits. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced that he would unveil details of the pension reform plans on Wednesday, insisting that the change would be gradual.
RESPONSIBILITY – The Romanian Government assumes responsibility in Parliament on a number of laws regarding justice and economy. The Government takes responsibility for the justice legislation, the part regarding the extension of the early retirement of the magistrates, increasing the number of judges on panels in lower courts from two to three and job seniority for access to the National Institute of Magistracy. There will also be the repeal of Ordinance 51, related to school transport. Also, Emergency Decree 114 will be abrogated, without the articles referring to constructions.
DEFICIT – Romania’s trade deficit exceeded 14 billion euros in the first tend days of the year, by 2 billion euros more against the same period of last year. According to a release of the National Statistics Institute, exports totaled over 58 billion euros, while imports exceeded 72 billion euros. Automobiles and transport equipment are an important part of the total imports and exports.
CEASEFIRE – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to implement a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine by the end of 2019. The two leaders met face to face at a Paris summit on Monday, for negotiations brokered by French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In a written statement, the countries agreed to the release and exchange of all “conflict-related detainees” by the end of the year. The two sides also pledged to disengage military forces in three additional regions of Ukraine by the end of March 2020, without specifying which regions would be affected, the BBC reports.
