December 22, 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news...
Newsroom, 22.12.2019, 13:55
DECEMBER 1989 — Events dedicated to the commemoration of the heroes of the 1989 anti-communist revolution continue in Bucharest and other Romanian cities. A religious service in memory of the victims has been held on Sunday morning at the Patriarchal Cathedral in the capital city and wreaths have been laid at the monuments of the revolutionaries. Started in Timisoara on December 16, the revolution extended on December 21 to other big cities of Romania, culminating on December 22 with the escape of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu from the headquarters of the Communist Party in a helicopter. The Ceauseascus were captured and tried hastily then shot dead on December 25 in a barracks in Targoviste (south). Romania was the only country in central and eastern Europe where the toppling of the regime turned into bloodshed. On Thursday the EP adopted a Resolution on the commemoration of 30 years since the December 1989 anti-communist revolution, which pays homage to the heroes that died for freedom and democracy. The document mentions that, in the Romanian Revolution, 1,142 people lost their lives, over 3,000 were seriously wounded and several hundreds were illegally arrested and tortured. Through this resolution the EP admits that the sacrifice of the then peaceful protesters opened the path for Romania’s transition to democracy. The EP also called on the Romanian state to intensify efforts to find the truth about the 1989 revolution and on the EU institutions and members to do their best to make sure that the crimes made by the Communist regimes will not be forgotten, and to thus guarantee that such crimes will never be committed again.
HOLIDAYS – Romanians living or working abroad come in large numbers to spend winter holidays at home. According to the Border Police, the check points in western Romania are the most crowded but there is enough staff to make border crossing unfold smoothly. Over 209 thousand people entered the country in the last 24 hours alone. The number of border policemen will be supplemented, if needed.
MANDATE – President Klaus Ioahnnis was sworn in on Saturday for a second term in office as head of state, before the Parliament’s two Chambers. In his speech, president Iohannis said that the targets of his term in office are to modernize the administration, to regain the citizens’ confidence in the state institutions, to do away with red tape and simplify the legislation which should no longer include populist measures. He went on to say that he would continue to support the anti-corruption fight and that Romania’s international profile would be consolidated. On November 24, in the second round of the presidential election, Iohannis, supported by the National Liberal Party, obtained more than 66% of the votes, twice as much as his challenger, the former Social Democratic PM Viorica Dancila. On Thursday, upon the presentation of the activity report of his first mandate as head of state, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said that his mandate was marked by major challenges, of which the most serious was Romania’s risking to swerve off its western path under the Social Democratic governments. In relation to foreign policy, Klaus Iohannis said his actions focused on boosting Romania’s role within the EU and NATO, and expanding and strengthening the strategic partnership with the US.
MEETING — The justice minister Catalin Predoiu had a meeting with the court clerks’ representatives in the context of the clerks’ protests of the past days. A justice ministry communiqué released on Saturday the talks focused on the government’s intention to change emergency decree no.114/2018 related to fiscal and budgetary measures and to eliminate the clerk’s special pensions. The clerks’ representatives also spoke about the lack of payment for overtime and the improper working conditions, given that, according to statistics, clerks’ life expectancy is 58 years. The justice minister said that a decision related to their problems should be made jointly by the government, the justice ministry and the Parliament. At the end of the meeting, the sides agreed that a new meeting should be held early next week between the representatives of the justice ministry and of the clerks.
GOVERNMENT – On Monday the Government is seeking a vote of confidence in Parliament for the state budget and social security budget bills, a first for Romanian politics. The Liberal PM Ludovic Orban said that requesting Parliaments confidence is the only way for the 2020 state budget bill to be endorsed by December 31st. The Social Democrats, on the other hand, say that this is the most anti-democratic measure taken by a government in the last 30 years and plan to notify the Constitutional Court on a possible conflict of interest between Parliament and Government. MPs can make propose amendments to the draft budget until Monday.
MEASLES – The number of cases of measles cases reported so far in Romania exceeded 18,900 after another 76 cases have been reported in several counties. The death toll is 64. Measles is a viral infection that starts in the respiratory system. It still remains a significant cause of death worldwide, despite the availability of a safe, effective vaccine.
SPORTS — Romania will have 35 participants in the Youth Olympic Games to be hosted by Lausanne, Switzerland, between the 9th and 22nd of January 2020. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Olympic and Sport Committee, the Romanian athletes will compete in 10 of the 16 sport events scheduled at the Olympic Games. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Lillehammer – Norway, Eduard Căşăneanu won gold in the ice hockey event and Mihaela Hogaş won bronze in the speed skating event in mixed genre international teams.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
