June 20, 2023 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 20.06.2023, 19:56
Refugee – Romanians have shown unprecedented solidarity, offering a space of safety and peace to the Ukrainian refugees, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in his address on the World Refugee Day. “In March 2022, we got the clear picture of terror, on the cratered streets and destroyed buildings in the cities of Bucha and Irpin. We understood the horror lived by the desperate families forced to flee the war. Over 4.6 million Ukrainians, mostly women and children, have chosen our country as their refuge,” Ciolacu wrote on Facebook. According to him, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Romanians have proven their ‘support and generosity in the face of terror.
Visit — Romania is a supporter of the European path of the neighboring Republic of Moldova, and this process will be covered together by the two states – said, on Tuesday, in Chisinau, the Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, during a press conference with her counterpart Nicu Popescu. In his turn, the Moldovan FM recalled the Romanian support offered to Chisinau in the energy, political and financial fields, especially in the context of Russias war in Ukraine. Odobescu also had discussions on Tuesday with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean and with the Parliament President Igor Grosu. She said that the Romanian authorities would continue to provide robust, priority support adapted to the needs of the Republic of Moldova. On Monday evening, Luminiţa Odobescu was received by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, the discussions focusing on Chisinaus European agenda and the regional security situation. The Romania FM appreciated the substantial progress of the Moldovan authorities regarding the reforms agenda, in particular following the recommendations made by the European Commission in June 2022, when Moldova was granted the status of European integration candidate state. On Wednesday, Romania’s new PM Marcel Ciolacu will pay a working visit to Chisinau.
Moldova – The Constitutional Court of Moldova, an ex-soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population has ruled as unconstitutional the SOR party founded and led by the oligarch Ilan Sor. The party has been accused of actions that run against the rule of law, jeopardizing the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, being funded from abroad and backed by the Russian secret services. The party leader fled to Israel after having received a prison sentence for his involvement in the theft of one billion Euros from Moldova’s banking system. From there he initiated jointly with the partys vice-president Marina Tauber a series of anti-government protests.
Football – Romanias national football team ended in a two-all draw their away game against Switzerland in Group 1 of the Euro 2024 preliminaries. The Romanians were dominated in the match, being led 2-0, but they managed an unexpected comeback and leveled the score towards the end of the match. In the other Group 1 matches, Belarus secured a 2-1 win against Kosovo and Israel also obtained a 2-1 victory against Andorra. Switzerland, the favorite of the group, and Romania, are ranked on the first two positions in the classification, which ensures them qualification for the final tournament in Germany.
Magistrates – Magistrates from several courts and prosecutors offices in Romania have announced that they are suspending their work as of Wednesday, as they are dissatisfied with the government’s intention to change the conditions for the special pension scheme. Judges and prosecutors argue that changing their special pension schemes violate the independence of the judiciary. The ruling coalition wants, among other things, to gradually increase the retirement age for judges and prosecutors to 65, and to calculate their pensions on the basis of their income from several years, not just from the last year of activity. Currently, judges and prosecutors are retiring after only 25 years of work. The elimination of special pension schemes for several social categories in Romania is a condition for the country to receive the following installments of European money under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Special pensions are not based on contributions, they were granted by law, and are often very high compared to normal pensions in Romania. Magistrates say they will only solve urgent cases.
Museum – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday approved, with a majority of votes, the setting up of the National Museum of History and Culture of the Roma in Romania – a public institution of national importance, subordinated to the National Agency for Roma. The purpose of the museum is, among other things, to present and promote the history, culture and traditions of this national minority, to know, at national and international levels, its contribution to the evolution and modernization of Romanian society over time, as well as to combat racism and discrimination. The initiator of the proposal, a deputy representing the national minorities, Cătălin Manea, declared that the vote in the Chamber of Deputies – decision-making body in this case – is historic. The National Museum of Roma History and Culture will contribute to revealing historical truths.
Exams – 8th graders had a day off on Tuesday, after taking the written exam in the Romanian language and literature as part of the National Assessment on Monday. On Wednesday, the next test in mathematics is scheduled and on Thursday the students who belong to national minorities will take the exam in their native language and literature. The first results will be published on June 28, and the final ones, after resolving the appeals, on July 4. From this year, high school enrollment will be based only on the mean obtained at the National Assessment, and the mean of the middle school points will no longer be taken into account as before. Students who did not register for the exam can only attend the courses of a professional or dual school. Almost 10% of those who started the eighth grade in the fall are in this situation. (LS)
