JUNE 29, 2021

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Newsroom, 29.06.2021, 13:55

MESSAGE Romanian Parliament is to convene in a solemn session on Tuesday to
commemorate the victims of the pogrom on June 28th-30th
1941, in Iasi, north-eastern Romania where over 13 thousand Romanian Jews were tortured
and killed by the pro-Nazi regime of that time. In a message conveyed on this
occasion, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said that sheer hatred, violence
and contempt for human dignity were some of the instruments used by the
pro-Nazis authorities of that time to implement their diabolical plan, namely
to clean the city of Jews. According to Iohannis, the pogrom in Iasi is not
only a tragedy of the Jewish population killed by the far-right nationalists
but also a drama and a responsibility for the Romanian nation. On this occasion,
the head of the Romanian state has said that recollecting the suffering of
those days represents the main moral restitution the present generation and the
next ones must pay to the victims of those events. According to the Romanian
president, against the rising denialism, hate speech, the attempts to distort
the historical records, populism and anti-Semitism, the democratic principles and
values as well as the rule of law must be defended.

VOTE The Chamber of Deputies and Senate in Bucharest are
today debating upon and voting on the first censure motion against the
centre-to-right coalition government led by Florin Citu tabled by the main
opposition party PSD. The Social-Democrats have been criticizing the measures
taken by the Executive in key-areas and the way in which the ruling coalition
has drawn up the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience. The ruling parties
are to attend the debates but refrain from voting, Liberal Prime Minister
Florin Citu has announced. If the censure motion has been endorsed by 234 MPs, the
government can be sacked. The opposition PSD and AUR together with the
independent MPs can currently rely on 205 votes.

CERTIFICATE Authorities in Romania are making the last preparations for the
introduction on July 1st of the Green COVID-19 Certificate, which is
to facilitate travel among the EU countries. Technical details have been
finalized but interior laws are still to be put in line with the EU
legislation. Those willing to travel to the EU countries can download this
document in the first day of the next month, while authorities are looking for
new ways to step up the vaccine rollout. A possible solution would be a mobile
team to bring the vaccine to Romania’s rural areas. Since the vaccine rollout
kicked off in late December 4.7 million people have been vaccinated in Romania.
73 new infections were announced on Tuesday. 500 infected patients are being
treated in hospitals around Romania, out of which 80 in intensive care.

FOOTBALL The football sides of Spain and Switzerland will be meeting in the
quarter finals of the EURO 2020. Spain secured a dramatic 5-3 win against
Croatia in Copenhagen, while in Bucharest, Switzerland clinched a 5-4 victory against
the world champions France. Also in the quarters Belgium will be up against
Italy and the Czech side will be playing Denmark. England will be taking on
Germany in London tonight in an attempt to secure a place in the quarterfinals,
while Sweden will be up against Ukraine in Glasgow. Romania hosted four games
in the group C of the prestigious European competition: Austria versus North
Macedonia on June 13, Ukraine versus North Macedonia on June 17th,
Ukraine versus Austria on June 21st as well as the eight finals game
pitching France to Switzerland.

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