January 31, 2014 UPDATE
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news.
România Internațional, 31.01.2014, 12:05
VISIT-The political relationship between Romania and Germany is an excellent one, both at bilateral level and within European structures, Romania’s President Traian Basescu said on Friday, during a working visit to Berlin. He has added that Romania’s trading relation with Germany is equally very important to Romania. According to the Romanian head of state, the volume of two way trade exchanges is estimated to reach 20 billion Euros in 2014, registering an 8% increase. Basescu has also announced that the value of investments made by German firms in Romania stands at 4.6 billion Euros. They are particularly made in such domains as industry (especially car manufacturing equipment), the energy field, services and trade.
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE– Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced on Friday that a series of prospective amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code will be adopted in the government session, due next week. Romania’s President Traian Basescu had called on Prime Minister Victor Ponta to issue an emergency ordinance aimed at amending the Criminal Procedure Code. The president mentioned the amendments were requested as early as September 2013 by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. The new amendments are to be operated, among other things, on the controversial article 140, under which prosecutors can ask for a phone tapping warrant only after the criminal investigation is officially launched. Investigators say the interception becomes useless in this case since, under the new code, criminals must be informed about the interception of their phone calls. Both the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code are to come into effect on Saturday. In turn, the Prime Minister recalled that it was the president who promulgated the two documents in their current form.
EXTREME COLD-The blizzard and heavy snowfalls that hit Romania last week, are now followed by a wave of cold which is sweeping Romania, with temperatures plunging to minus 22 degrees Celsius in the northeast. The most severely affected regions were those in the southeast. 13 people have died of extreme cold in Romania over the past few days, state secretary with the Romanian Interior ministry, Raed Arafat announced on Friday. A motorway and a couple of national roads are still closed down, over 100 towns and villages are still isolated and thousands of households left without electricity. Over 60 passenger trains have been cancelled, while others have reported significant delays, due to snow cleanup along the rails. Schools were closed, right before the inter-semestrial holidays in Bucharest and 14 other counties, affected by the extreme weather.
CONSTITUTION-Half of the Romanians believe that the current Constitution should and must be amended, an INSCOP poll commissioned upon the request of the daily Adevarul shows. Only 14% of the interviewees refused or refrained from giving an answer to the question on the necessity of changing the fundamental law of the country. As for the amendments, 82% of the respondents say that a good measure should be aimed at fighting party switching among the Romanian MPs. According to the poll, 63% of the Romanians are in favour of reducing the president’s mandate from five to four years. Half of them would stand for a single-chamber Parliament as compared to only 30% who would vote for a two-chamber legislature. The poll was conducted between January the 16th and 21st, on a group of 1,054 people. The maximum error admitted is of plus/minus 3%. We recall the referendum for changing the Constitution is due in May, concurrently with the Euro-parliamentary election.
UKRAINE-US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday will have a first meeting with the main leaders of the Ukrainian opposition at the Security Conference underway in Munich, France Press quotes high-ranking US officials as saying. During a phone call with opposition representatives, Kerry has already expressed his support for the European integration of Ukraine and made an appeal for defending democracy through peaceful means. Although the power in Kiev has already made a series of concessions to the opposition, such as the resignation of Prime Minister Azarov, the abrogation of some harsh legislation, as well as the introduction of amnesty for protesters, the situation in Ukraine remains tense. A series of antigovernment protests started in November, when President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign the EU Association Agreement.
FUTSAL-Although defeated one-nil by Ukraine, Romania’s national futsal team has qualified for the quarterfinals of the European Championship in Antwerp, Belgium. In the first game Romanians thrashed 6-1 the eleven of Belgium, which will be up against Ukraine on Saturday. In the group’s ranking, Ukraine has three points, same as Romania, while Belgium has no point. The first two teams in the group’s standings will play in the quarterfinals. Romania’s national futsal side has for the third time qualified for a European Championship.
