June 26, 2023
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 26.06.2023, 13:55
Pensions. In Bucharest, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate have gathered in joint session to vote on the bill regarding the elimination of parliamentarians special pensions. The bill repeals the right to the allowance for age limit that deputies and senators benefit from according to previous provisions. The initiators of the document, representatives of the Social Democratic Party, which is part of the governing coalition, say that all legal requirements have been observed and it is an act of morality for senators and deputies to give up these revenues. The Association of former parliamentarians has announced, however, that it will challenge the bill in court, as it includes provisions similar to those of another law drawn up by the Social Democrats, declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. By the end of the week, the last of the current session, a vote is also expected on the governments bill on reforming service pensions.
Budget. The budget correction could take place in August, the Romanian Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, has announced. He stated that, in this way, all the measures announced by the Bucharest Government will be able to enter into force on September 1. Regarding the impact these measures will have on the state budget, the minister said that an exact calculation has not yet been made. “This week will be dedicated to the analysis on the expenditure side and we will communicate the budgetary impact of these measures. The more measures of this kind we have, the better we can manage the issue of state budget allocations” Boloş pointed out. He also said that the elimination of parliamentarians special pensions and banning the aggregation of pensions and salaries will bring significant savings to the Romanian budget.
Foreign Affairs. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, is participating, today, in the meeting of the EU ministers of foreign affairs, which is taking place in Luxembourg. The heads of European diplomacy will discuss the situation in Ukraine, with an emphasis on recent developments, the situation on the ground and increasing support for that country. The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmitro Kuleba, will participate in the discussions via video conference. Minister Luminiţa Odobescu will emphasize the need to continue supporting Ukraine as long as it is necessary. At the meeting, the High Representative Josep Borrell, will address, among other things, the latest support measures for the Republic of Moldova, adopted at the level of the European Union.
Baccalaureate. In Romania, more than 130,000 high school graduates are taking the first test of the Baccalaureate today, the one in Romanian language and literature. Tomorrow they will be sitting the mandatory test of the profile, and on Wednesday the optional test of the profile and specialization. On Thursday, students who belong to national minorities will take another test, the one on Mother Language and Literature. This week will be announced the first results of the national assessment for students who graduated from the eighth grade. Due to the general strike in education, registrations for the National Assessment and Baccalaureate were extended until June 16.
Festival. The International Theater Festival continues in Sibiu (central Romania). One of the most anticipated plays in todays program is “Father”, with the famous Romanian actor Victor Rebengiuc (90 years old) in the leading role. Many of the events in the program are street events, and access is free. Visitors are welcome to enjoy theatre, music, dance and circus performances. “Romeo and Juliet” is also part of todays program, this time under the direction of the Russian Andriy Zholdak, who also signed the stage design, music, lights, video and script. Also Shakespeare, but “Macbeth/ A marriage made in hell” will be performed by band Tiyatro BeReZe from Turkey. Another production based on a classic text, ” A forced marriage” by Moliere, comes from the Ion Luca Caragiale National Satiricus Theatre, from the Republic of Moldova. The Juan Carlos Avecilla Flamenco Dance Company (Spain) participates in the festival with “Flamenco Fusion”, a show that concentrates the essence of the Spanish dance tradition. More after the news.
Swimming. Romanian swimmer David Popovici, a double world and European champion, won, on Sunday, the 200 m freestyle event of the 59th edition of the Sette Colli Trophy competition at Foro Italico (Rome), with a new competition record. On Saturday, Popovici also won the 100 m freestyle race, also with a competition record. This was the last check for the Swimming World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan (July 13-30), where Romania will be represented by David Popovici and Andrei-Mircea Anghel.
Weather. In Romania, the thermal regime today will be characterized by normal values, with highs ranging between 24 and 31 degrees Celsius. The weather continues to be unsettled locally in the south, south-west and in the mountains. The floods formed as a result of the heavy rains on Sunday caused significant damage and resulted in the death of one person. Most of the country is still under flood warnings. An orange code is active for rivers in the center, west, south, most of the east and southeast, and until tonight, at midnight, a yellow flood code is issued for most regions of the country. (MI)
