July 4, 2019 UPDATE
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 04.07.2019, 20:25
4th JULY ‘Romania’s strategic priority is and will remain a strong
transatlantic relation’, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday
during the reception offered by the US embassy in Bucharest on the occasion of
the country’s 243rd anniversary. Also attending the event Romanian
Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has conveyed a message of congratulations as
well as wishes of peace and prosperity to all the US citizens. According to a
government communiqué, Romania has confirmed its statute of a trustworthy
partner of the United States and also a staunch ally in ensuring peace as well
as regional and global security, being known for its contribution, the fifth in
size, to NATO’s Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. At the same time, the government
in Bucharest appreciates and warmly hails the role of the Romanian community in
the USA as an element of rapprochement, cohesion and solid inter-human, social
and cultural bond. The US celebrates its Independence Day on July 4th,
marking the day when back in 1773 13 British colonies proclaimed their
independence from the British crown to found the United States of America.
TENNIS Romania’s best tennis player Simona Halep will be up against Victoria
Azarenka of Belarus on Friday in the third round of the Grand Slam tournament
in Wimbledon. Halep has outperformed another Romanian challenger, Mihaela
Buzarnescu in the second round. Also on Thursday, another player from Romania, Monica
Niculescu was defeated by Elise Mertens of Belgium 7-5, 6-0 in the same
competition. On the same day a pair made up of Horia Tecau of Romania and Jean Julien
Rojer of the Netherlands qualified for the round of 32 of the men’s doubles
after a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 win against Italians Marco Cecchinato and Andreas Seppi.
COURT Romania’s Constitutional Court (RCC) has postponed for July 10th
the ruling over the motions tabled by the opposition Save Romania Union and the
National Liberal Party and by president Iohannis concerning several Parliament
amendments to the Penal Code and Penal Procedure Codes. The RCC judges have
repeatedly postponed the ruling on the aforementioned amendments, which, according
to the opposition, are contradicting not only the rule of law by weakening
Romania’s penal policy and encouraging crime but also the Constitution. In
turn, president Iohannis believes the amendments to the Penal Procedure Code are
infringing on the Constitution and the principle of bicameralism. The controversial
articles include the decriminalization of the abuse of office, and reducing the
statute of limitations and term of parole. The two projects were endorsed by
the decision-making Chamber of Deputies in April.
NEVERSEA As of Thursday, the city of Constanta, on the Romanian Black
Sea Coast, plays venue for the Neversea Festival, the largest music festival in
Europe held on a beach. 150 famous artists will perform for four days on the Modern
beach, before an audience of some 200,000 people. The list of guests includes
Afrojack, G-Eazy, Jessy J, DJ Snake, Sean Paul, Lost Frequencies, Kadebostany,
Salvatore Ganacci and Dub FX. Special security measures have been put in place
to ensure the smooth running of the event. This year the festival’s budget
amounts to some 9 million Euros.