June 25, 2017
The leaderships of the main political parties in Romania are completing the mandates for Mondays talks with President Klaus Iohannis, for the designation of a new prime minister/ A Romanian-US military air exercise is unfolding at the Campia Turzii Base
Corina Cristea, 25.06.2017, 13:56
POLITICAL TALKS – The leaderships of the main political parties in Romania are completing the mandates for Mondays talks with President Klaus Iohannis, for the designation of a new prime minister. Talks are also held between political leaders to consolidate a parliamentary majority. We recall that the leftist cabinet led by Sorin Grindeanu was toppled by a no-confidence motion tabled by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party, PSD, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, ALDE, which supported it following the legislative elections of December 2016. The Social Democrats and their ALDE partners say they further hold a parliamentary majority and will make a nomination for a new prime minister on Monday. The centre-right opposition made up of the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party rule out any collaboration with PSD, whereas the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania hasnt taken a clear stand so far.
MILITARY EXERCISE – A Romanian-U.S. military air exercise is unfolding at the Campia Turzii Base in northwestern Romania. Participating are some 200 Romanian troops, pilots and technical staff, using MiG-21 LanceR fighters and IAR-330 Puma helicopters, alongside some 300 U.S. military, using F-15 fighters and the required technical equipment. According to the Romanian Interior Ministry, the exercise which will unfold until late August, gives the chance to Romanian military to practice tactics, techniques and standard procedures specific to air operations, at NATO standards and to carry out joint flying missions with their American partners.
SUMMER EUROPEAN COUNCIL – The future Romanian government will have to get an agreement on the relocation of the European Medicines Agency from Great Britain to Romania, post-Brexit, given that the country is competing with Sweden, France, Denmark, Hungary and Bulgaria, countries which have already forwarded their offers, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said at the end of the European Summit in Brussels. Iohannis also said the future government will also have to breathe fresh air into the defence industry, because it will be able to use resources made available under the new European Defence Fund. The Romanian President demanded at the European Council that the new internal security instruments be applied in a coherent and unified manner, at the level of the whole EU, without any difference between the Schengen member and non-member states like Romania, but which apply Schengen regulations to a large extent. The Schengen membership issue has also been approached by the Romanian President in a bilateral meeting he had with French President Emmanuel Macron, who showed openness to Romanias prospective Schengen accession. Klaus Iohannis said however, he does not believe Romania will make other significant progress in the field until the elections in Germany and the appointment of a new government in the Netherlands. As regards the situation of the Romanians in the Great Britain, post-Brexit, Klaus Iohannis said the declarations made by the British PM Theresa May relative to European residents are promising, but he added he is waiting to see them materialising in concrete documents.
RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team defeated Brazil on home turf, 56-5, in the last test match of the month of June. The two teams have never met so far, as they are performing in different performance categories, according to a world classification. Romania has been a constant presence at world tournaments, whereas rugby is at the start of the road in Brazil. Ahead of the match, the Romanian rugby players have played in a tournament in Asia and North America, during which they defeated Canada, 25-9, and lost to Japan, 33-21.
