June 16, 2015 UPDATE

For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.

Newsroom, 16.06.2015, 12:15

MEETING – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday is meeting his Portuguese counterpart Anibal Cavaco Silva in Bucharest. The meeting follows Iohanniss visit to Zagreb, Croatia, where he met with his counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. Romanias expertise at EU level, cooperation within the EU and the issue of national minorities ranked high on the agenda for talks.

GOVERNMENT – Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Gabriel Oprea has taken over the attributes of Prime Minister Victor Ponta for four days, pending a knee surgery Ponta will undergo in Turkey. Victor Ponta said he had confidence in Romanian physicians, although he chose to undergo surgery abroad so as to enjoy what he has termed “some peace and quiet. Having sustained a knee injury during a basketball game two weeks ago, Victor Ponta hopes he would be able to return to the basketball court by December. On Monday, the Prime Minister was summoned by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for a deposition in a case where he is being investigated for corruption. Ponta called for a one-week postponement of the deposition due to his knee surgery.

MOLDOVA – Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Wednesday will visit the Republic of Moldova. He will meet with president Nicolae Timofti, Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu and his counterpart Natalia Gherman. Minister Aurescu will also meet with leaders of political factions and will open the Romanian Information Centre with the Comrat State University in Gagauzia. On Thursday, Minister Aurescu will attend a meeting of Foreign Ministers of states of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), ahead of Romanias rotating presidency of the Organization. Analysts say the visit sends out a signal of support for Moldovas European aspirations, despite the tense political turmoil. On Friday, Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici tendered his resignation, accused of having forged his Baccalaureate diploma. On Sunday, the pro-Moscow left prevailed in the first ballot of the local elections.

ASSESSMENT – A delegation of the European Commission is as of Tuesday in Bucharest for an assessment of the current financial programme, which Romania plans to finalise this autumn. The topics will include the progress in structural reforms, the energy sector, transports, the professional management of state-owned companies and the stage of the privatisation process in general. The EC experts will also discuss the fiscal relaxation measures taken by the Romanian government, in light of their impact on Romanias medium-term budget deficit objective.

PENSIONS – The Parliament in Bucharest on Tuesday adopted a bill providing special pensions to MPs. A senator or a deputy who had three terms in office will receive an allowance equivalent to a thousand euro, while any MP who has served a single term will receive some 350 euros. Those members of Parliament with final sentences for corruption will not get the special pension. The Government says the law is necessary, given that the regime of interdictions and incompatibilities prevents MPs from engaging in any sort of commercial activities. The Liberal opposition has on the other hand voted against the bill, saying it might seek an appeal with the Constitutional Court, although originally the signature list for the bill included Liberal MPs. Unpopular due to its stand in favour of senators and deputies investigated for corruption, Parliament enjoys one of the lowest trust rates among Romanians at present.

EXERCISE – Troops from 25 NATO countries take part, as of Wednesday, in a large-scale exercise in central Romania. TRIDENT JOUST 15 is a collective defence operation run by NATO. Another multi-national exercise, ROUSOFEX 15, begun on Tuesday in eastern Romania, involving special operations forces from Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, the US and Turkey.

SPORTS – The kayak double team, made up of Roxana Borha and Elena Meroniac won the silver medal in the 500 m race on Tuesday. This is the first medal for Romania at the European Games in Baku. Borha and Meroniac, European champions in the 1,000 m event and European vice-champions in the 500 m race, were outperformed by Serbia, with Hungary coming in third. Meanwhile, WTA third-ranked Simona Halep qualified to the second round of the tournament in Birmingham after defeating Naomi Broady of Britain 6-4, 6-2.