June 8, 2015

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 08.06.2015, 12:00

The PM of Romania, Victor Ponta, will be heard today by the Judicial Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. The Chamber is to announce a calendar for the analysis of the anti-corruption prosecutors request to commence prosecution against the prime minister for a suspected conflict of interest during his term in office. For three other offences, reportedly committed while Ponta was a lawyer, the Directorate has already initiated criminal proceedings. The PM is facing charges of forged documents under private signature, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering, in a case filed against former Transport Minister Dan Şova, a Social Democratic Senator. President Klaus Iohannis and the Liberal and populist opposition called on Ponta to step down, but he declined.

The situation involving the Social Democrat PM Victor Ponta is to be analysed today in Bucharest during the meeting between President Klaus Iohannis with the parliamentary parties, originally convened only to discuss the countrys new defence strategy. The head of state intends to build political consensus on this document, before it reaches the Supreme Defence Council and later the Parliament. The strategy emphasises the importance attached by Romania to the defence field, for which a higher budget will be earmarked. The strategy also includes details on Romanias position within NATO and the EU.

The Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies today set the timeframe for discussing the motion of censure tabled by the main opposition party, the Liberals, who have demanded the resignation of PM Victor Ponta. They accuse Ponta of deliberately sabotaging the vote in the diaspora during last years presidential election, and of blocking the organization of by-elections, local and parliamentary elections this year. Unless the PM steps down, dismissal by means of a motion of censure may be a solution for Romania to overcome the present difficulties, said the co-president of the National Liberal Party, Alina Gorghiu. This is the third motion to censure against the Ponta Cabinet, after two similar moves by the opposition were dismissed by Parliament last year.

Terrorism, the situation in Greece and climate change are the main topics on the agenda of the last day of the G7 summit that started on Sunday in Germany. Yesterday, the leaders of the worlds largest 7 economic powers adopted a firm position as regards Russia and its aggressive moves in eastern Ukraine. The Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and the President of the USA, Barack Obama, insisted that Moscow must fully comply with the terms of the Minsk truce and respect Ukraines sovereignty. According to the BBC, the world leaders are determined to stand up to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. At the end of July, when the EU sanctions against Russia expire, the 28-strong bloc is most likely to strengthen the sanction regime.

In Turkey, the Islamic-Conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) headed by President Recep Tayip Erdogan lost its super-majority in Parliament, which it had held for 13 years, according to the preliminary results of Sundays parliamentary elections in Turkey. AKP only got 41% of the votes, meaning 259 out of 550 seats in Parliament, which forces it to look for partners in a coalition government, France Presse reports. On the other hand, the pro-Kurdish HDP made the 10% election threshold and will be in the new parliament, but ruled out the option of a coalition with the ruling party. The other two competitors, the Republican Peoples Party and the Nationalist MHP Party, got 131 and 82 seats respectively. The prime minister of the country for 11 years, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected president in August and handed over the leadership of the party and of the government to his former foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu.

The PM of the Republic of Moldova, Chiril Gaburici, is to be heard by the General Prosecutors Office in Chişinău in a case concerning the forgery of his education documents, the Moldovan mass media reported. According to these sources, Gaburici failed to take his baccalaureate exam in 1995. PM Chiril Gaburici may be charged with forgery. Meanwhile, yesterday thousands of people took to the streets in Chişinău against the government, in a rally organised by the “Dignity and Truth Civic Platform. The protesters once again demanded the resignation of the leaders of the ruling coalition, accused of having misappropriated one million dollars from the countrys banks. The rally took place one week before the local elections due on June 14.

Romanian player Simona Halep remains world no. 3 in professional tennis, despite being kicked out of the French Open in the second round. The American Serena Williams, who won the tournament, tops the WTA ranking, followed by the Czech Petra Kvitova, while Russias Maria Sharapova went down to the 4th place. Other Romanian players in the Top 100 include Andreea Mitu, who went up from 100 to 68 after reaching the eighth-finals in Paris, Irina Begu is 29th, the best place in her career, Alexandra Dulgheru is number 60, and Monica Niculescu 61.