June 18, 2016 UPDATE

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

Newsroom, 18.06.2016, 12:15

VISIT — German President Joachim Gauck on Monday is paying an official visit to Romania. He will hold talks with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, about economic cooperation possibilities between the two countries. On Tuesday, Gauck will visit Sibiu, a city founded by Saxon colonists in the 14th century and the birthplace of current president Klaus Iohannis, the mayor of this city for 14 years. In the local elections on June 5, the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania has won the mayorship of Sibiu, although German nationals account for only 1% of the city’s population.

STRATEGY — The National Anti-Corruption Strategy for the next four years is under public debate on the website of the Romanian Justice Ministry. According to its initiators, the strategy is primarily aimed at fostering integrity, based on transparent decision-making and open governance. By 2020, the focus will be on ex-ante checks of sectors exposed to corruption. The new strategy is launched amidst an anti-corruption campaign that in the last year alone has resulted in the investigation and subsequent prosecution of an acting Prime Minister, Social-Democrat Victor Ponta, who subsequently stepped down, as well as in the arrest of a Constitutional Court judge, Toni Grebla, and the independent mayor of Bucharest Sorin Oprescu. Additionally, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate demanded the greenlight for the detention and pre-trial arrest of an acting Finance Minister, Darius Valcov, arrested four of the capital city’s six district mayors, indicted 20 current or former MPs, 14 mayors, nine presidents of county councils and a prefect.

FESTIVAL — The first edition of the Romanian Folk Festival in Ukraine will open on Sunday in the city of Ismail. Folk ensembles from all of Ukraine’s regions with Romanian-speaking population will perform on stage, as well as folk vocalists from the Republic of Moldova. Nearly half a million Romanian nationals live in Ukraine.

DIASPORA — Minister Delegate for Romanians Worldwide Dan Stoenescu met with members of the Romanian community in Brussels. Talks focused on topics of mutual interest for the Romanian community in Belgium, as well as for Romanian-language education, promoting cultural values, consolidating the business sector and fostering intercultural dialogue. Stoenescu reasserted Romania’s interest for continuing the development of education programs for young Romanians in the Diaspora for organizing Romanian language, culture and civilization classes at the level of Romanian associations and parishes in Belgium. He urged Romanians to take an active role in Belgian society and continue to build with Brussels authorities a partnership based on European values and promoting multiculturalism. Some 60,000 Romanians currently live in Belgium.

PENTECOST — Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians in Romania and across the world on Sunday are celebrating the Pentecost, marking 50 days from Easter and the foundation of the Christian Church. The feast day refers to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, who could thus spread the gospels in languages they could not speak before. On the same day, with St. Peter’s fervent proclamation, some 3,000 people converted to Christianity, making up the first Christian community in Jerusalem, the core of the later Church. Orthodox Christians are attending mass on this day, receiving blessed walnut tree branches, symbolizing the flames resting on the crowns of the apostles’ heads.

EURO 2016 — Romania’s national football team is as of Saturday in Lyon, where on Sunday evening it will play Albania, in the last fixture in Group A at the European Football Championship in France. The host country will play Switzerland in the other group fixture. The games will decide which two teams will advance to the competition’s round of 16. With six points in two matches, France is the leader of the group, and has already mathematically qualified. Switzerland has four points, Romania one and Albania no points. Romania lost 1-2 to France in the opening match and drew 1-all against Switzerland. Both goals for Romania were scored by Bogdan Stancu from penalty kick. This is the first edition of the European Championship in the 24-team format. Apart from the best-placed 2 teams in each group, the best placed 4 teams in third position will also qualify to the next phase.

AEROBIC GYMNASTICS — Romanian athlete Oana Corina Constantin on Saturday won the individual event at the World Aerobic Gymnastics Championships hosted by Incheon, South Korea. Romania also won silver in the team event. Lucian Savulescu, Lavinia Panaete and Dacian Barna were 4th ranked in the trio event.

THEATRE FESTIVAL — The Sibiu International Theatre Festival is drawing to a close. Street performances, parades and concerts will be held until Sunday evening on the pedestrian boulevard and in medieval squares in the old city centre. Seven well-established stage directors and actors, including Tim Robbins, the winner of an Oscar award, were given a start on the Walk of Fame in Sibiu. Having reached its 23rd edition, the festival brought together 2,500 artists from 70 countries.