July 20, 2023

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 20.07.2023, 13:55

Welfare.
The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu,
has asked the new Minister of Labor, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, to replace the
leadership of the welfare departments in seven counties and Bucharest, as well
as the suspension of the head of the Labor Inspectorate. The head of the government
stated that following the controls carried out at national level, serious
problems were identified in the activity of some welfare centers in the
respective counties. We remind you that the new Romanian Ministers of Labor and
Family, Simona Bucura-Oprescu and Natalia Intotero, were sworn in on Wednesday. They replaced Marius Budai and
Gabriela Firea, who resigned amid the scandal related to the irregularities
found in the nursing homes for the elderly.

Army. The Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said today,
on the occasion of the Romanian Aviation
and Air Force Day, that Ukraine’s dramatic experience shows that defense starts
at home, that’s why the Romanian Army is carrying out the most ambitious
modernization program in its history. Angel Tîlvăr also said that the
Romanian Air Force is going through one of the most magnificent periods in its history.
Fighter and transport planes, military helicopters and civilian aircraft have
flown over the capital today. Romanian
Aviation and Air Force Day is celebrated every year on July 20, when the Holy
Prophet Elijah, the spiritual protector of pilots, is celebrated. Currently,
the Romanian detachment ‘Carpathian Vipers’, consisting of four F-16 aircraft,
is deployed in Lithuania carrying out an Enhanced Air Policing mission in the
Baltic States.

JHA. The Romanian Minister of Internal Affairs, Cătălin
Predoiu, had a meeting with Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for
Internal Affairs, in the context of the informal meeting of the JHA Council in
Logrono, Spain, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council. The
projects carried out jointly by the Romainan Interior Ministry and the European
Commission regarding border protection were analyzed, as well as the ministry’s
actions regarding border protection and combating illegal migration. According
to a ministry press release, Minister Predoiu has stressed that the efficient
management of migration, the fight against illegal migration and the control at
the external borders of the EU are priorities of his mandate. The European
Commissioner mentioned the very good results obtained following the
implementation of the pilot project, managed by Romania together with the
European Commission and expressed again the Commission’s support for the
accession to the Schengen area and obtaining a favorable decision this year.

Government. The Bucharest government has gathered today to discuss,
among other things, a draft ordinance aimed at creating the appropriate legal
framework for the marketing of all tobacco products. At the same time, a bill
will be analyzed to complete the ordinance regarding some measures necessary
for the implementation of the European Aid Fund intended for the most
disadvantaged people, the settlement of some expenses related to the support of
refugees from Ukraine, as well as the granting of grants from non-refundable
external funds for investments in SME engineering. Also, some measures will be discussed to provide
support to the categories of vulnerable people for compensating the energy
price, partially supported by non-reimbursable external funds. The Executive’s
agenda also includes a draft decision for the payment of Romania’s annual
financial contribution to the budget of the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development, following the acquisition of the status of an
associated member state within the anti-bribery working group.

Diplomacy. Romanian Foreign Minister Luminiţa Odobescu, is
participating today in the meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels. The
participants’ talks focus on the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the EU’s
approach to Turkey. They will also discuss issues regarding the relationship
with China and the results of the EU-CELAC Summit that took place the other day
in Brussels. The discussion on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will focus
on diplomatic efforts at the global level in support of Ukraine, including in
the context of Russia’s refusal to extend the validity of the Black Sea Grain
Initiative. European ministers will also
have a discussion on the external dimension of European economic security. As
regards Turkey, the talks are aimed to identify the best ways to advance
EU-Turkey relations.

Culture. Today and tomorrow, the famous American actor John
Malkovich will take the stage of the National Theater in Timisoara (western
Romania), the European Capital of Culture in 2023. He will perform a role in
the play Infernal Comedy, which was performed in countries on three
continents. It is a show that its author, Michael Sturminger, who also signs
the artistic direction, wrote especially for the famous actor, building a
dialogue between spoken and sung language. A double Oscar, Golden Globe and
BAFTA nominee, John Malkovich has starred in numerous films with worldwide
impact. Also today, the famous Electric Castle music festival
begins, at the Banffy Castle in Bonţida, in Cluj county (north-west). This
year’s edition will be bigger than last year, the organizers said. Among
others, The Chemical Brothers, Iggy Pop, Macklemore, Sigur Ros, Tash Sultana,
Peggy Gou, REZZ, George Ezra, or Jamie xx will take the stage. In 2019,
Electric Castle was named Best Medium-Sized European
Festival and is the only one that offers the complete experience with
camping, and the music plays non-stop. (MI)