July 14, 2023 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 14.07.2023, 20:00
MEETING – The Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria was high
on the agenda of Friday’s meeting between the Prime Ministers of Romania and
Bulgaria, Marcel Ciolacu and Nikolai Denkov, respectively. The Romanian Prime
Minister recalled the two countries are focusing their efforts to manage
migration and protect the EU’s borders. Romania has proved it is a responsible
and trusted partner of the European Union in this field and a provider of
security for the entire Union, Marcel Ciolacu said. In turn, Nikolai Denkov
said the process of joining Schengen should be finalized by the two countries
together, and that dialogue between Romanian and Bulgarian experts who are
still reluctant about the process needs to continue. The two officials also
discussed plans to link the infrastructure of the two states. In this respect,
the two prime ministers insisted on speeding up the construction of a new
bridge over the Danube, between Giurgiu and Ruse, and the creation of a ferry
line to ease traffic between the two towns. At the same time, energy
interconnections with other Balkan states such as Greece and Turkey can also be
improved, the two officials argued.
RESIGNATION – The Minister of Family Gabriela Firea announced her resignation
on social media. Her resignation was requested by Prime Minister Marcel
Ciolacu, Gabriela Firea says. The media has frequently linked Firea with the
group of people indicted in the nursing home scandal in Ilfov County. Firea
dismissed any connection with the people involved in the investigation. We
recall Labor Minister Marius Budăi stepped down on Thursday following irregularities
discovered in the protection system addressing the elderly and people with
disabilities.
INSPECTIONS – Over 2,000 social homes have been inspected by the
authorities this week, of which 20 were shut down, mostly in Bucharest. At the
same time, the activity of nearly 30 centers was suspended and inspectors
handed out 2 mln EUR worth of fines. Two inspectors of the Ilfov County Agency
for Payments and Social Inspection were also detained for failing to properly
assess the situation in a nursing home for people with disabilities.
EU-ROMANIA
– The European Commission on Friday issued three reasoned opinions in the case
of Romania for this country’s failure to comply with EU obligations in the
fields of recognizing professional qualifications, energy and competition. This
is the final step before Brussels will launch infringement procedures in these
three cases, and Bucharest was given two months to make the necessary
corrections. The first opinion refers to Romania imposing harsh restrictions to
local veterinarians who want to practice medicine in a different EU member
state. In the second file, the Commission says Romania needs to submit reports
attesting its completing of 2020 objectives in the field of energy efficiency.
And finally, the Commission points out Romania did not transpose the REC+
Directive on competition and anti-trust policies into national law. The EU made
the same recommendations to another six countries.
MOLDOVA – Three ministers
in the Moldovan Cabinet resigned on Friday, the Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin
Recean announced. Interior Minister Ana Revenco, Minister for Infrastructure
and Regional Development Liliana Dabija and Minister for Education and
Research, Anatolie Topală all stepped down. The Prime Minister did not reveal
the reason behind the resignations, and made the announcement at the end of a
government meeting addressing the June 30 attack on Chișinău Airport, when a
Tajik citizen stole the weapon of a police officer and killed two people. The
attacker was neutralized and died to his wounds in hospital.
NATIONAL
DAY OF FRANCE – The National Day of France was marked on Friday in Paris
with the traditional military parade, attended by president Emmanuel Macron and
India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi – this year’s guest of honor.
Representatives of 14 allies of France in its anti-terrorist missions in
Africa, including a Romanian, were part of the military band that opened the
ceremony. Paris and New Delhi this year celebrate 25 years since the
establishment of their strategic partnership, which France wants to consolidate
in order to increase its influence in the Asia-Pacific region. According to
Radio Romania’s correspondent in the French capital city, several local
authorities this year suspended National Day festivities for fear these public
gatherings should turn violent, in the wake of the Paris suburb revolts two
weeks ago. The National Day of France was also marked at the Getica National
Center for Joint Training in central Romania, where approximately 1,000 NATO
military from France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Romania are currently deployed.
(VP)
