June 15, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 15.06.2023, 19:48

Government. The new government
formed by the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party and led by
the Social Democrats’ leader Marcel Ciolacu was voted in on Thursday by
Parliament, with 290 votes in favour and 95 against, following a secret ballot.
I will do everything in my power so that no one should be afraid in Romania – whether
afraid of tomorrow, of prices, or afraid for the health and education of their
loved ones, said Ciolacu. Speaking about teachers’ recent strike, he said he
was ready to do them justice, emphasising that this was his firm commitment.
The new government also aims to solve the issue of special pensions, adopt the
new unified salary law and put an end to the increase in prices. The parties in
opposition, the Save Romania Union and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians,
criticised the new governing programme and the new cabinet ministers and voted
against them. Also on Thursday, the new cabinet was sworn in before president
Klaus Iohannis. The 18 candidates for the ministerial posts were interviewed on
Wednesday. A few maintained their positions from the previous cabinet led by
the Liberal Nicolae Ciucă, while others were replaced. The new cabinet also
features some new names, but only from among the ranks of the Liberals and the
Social Democrats, and none from the junior partners in the former coalition
government, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. We recall
that Nicolae Ciucă stepped down this week for Marcel Ciolacu to take over as
prime minister, under an agreement their parties signed in November 2021.

Poverty. Over 34% of people in Romanian were exposed
to the risk of poverty and social exclusion in 2022, the highest rate in the European
Union, according to data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the
European Union. Romania is followed in the ranking by Bulgaria, Greece and
Spain. The states with the lowest rates of people facing the risk of poverty
are the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Poland. At the EU level, the risk of
poverty and social exclusion was higher among women than among men.

Drill. Roughly 600 Romanian and allied military are
taking part until Friday in the Dacian Strike 23 multinational exercise
currently underway at the Smârdan
training centre close to Galaţi, in
eastern Romania. The drill focuses on the interaction between the joint command
structures of the Multinational Division Southeast and the ground troops
deployed. The Dacian Strike 23 is the second biggest combat exercise the NATO
troops have carried out in the past two weeks at the training centre in Smârdan after
Saber Guardian 23, an event that brought together a record number of troops and
pieces of military equipment.

Award. 30 projects with remarkable achievements
in the field of heritage from 21 different countries were awarded this year
with the Europa Nostra prize, the highest distinction of its kind in Europe.
The winners include two projects from Romania: Pathfinders of the Waters and Via
Transilvanica. The former, which is about the Danube Delta, promotes the local
heritage and the acquisition of new skills by children. Via Transilvanica, with
its 1,400 km, is the longest hiking route in Romania. The award ceremony for
the Europa Nostra prizes will take place on 28th September in
Venice.

Football. The Romanian foreign ministry has
recommended the Romanian football fans travelling for the Romania vs Kosovo
match in the EURO 2024 preliminaries, to
enter Kosovo through Blaze, in North Macedonia. The only checkpoint between
Serbia and Kosovo recommended is Merdare, which is very likely to be
overcrowded due to additional security measures. The Romanian foreign ministry does
not recommend the check points in northern Kosovo because they could be blocked
or closed down due to the worsening security situation in the region. At the
same time, the ministry recalls the situation in the area remains unpredictable
and recommends the Romanian football fans to refrain from chanting or posting
political slogans, which could trigger a response from the hosts. The Romanian
football fans are also advised to avoid travelling at night and in crowded or
to isolated places. (CM)