March 15, 2019

President Iohannis promulgates 2019 budget law, Romanian Foreign Ministry condemns terrorist attacks in New Zealand

Newsroom, 15.03.2019, 13:51

Budget — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday promulgated the 2019 state budget law. He said that he would have liked to promulgate a better budget for Romania and its citizens. President Ioahnnis criticized the fact that the Social Democratic Party, the main force in the ruling coalition, allotted only one day for the re-examination of the budget bill requested by the president and decided to send the bill back to the president without any modifications. President Iohannis labeled the MPs’ gesture as an ill-intentioned act and lack of responsibility. According to Klaus Iohannis the entire Social Democratic governance is a black hole for the Romanian economy and society. On Wednesday the Romanian Parliament adopted in its initial form the 2019 state budget law, which was re-submitted to Parliament by Klaus Iohannis. The Romanian President had previously notified the Constitutional Court over the budget bill but the Court rejected his recommendations. The ruling coalition claims the budget has the necessary resources for all the important domains of the economy.

Wellington — The Romanian Foreign Ministry officials firmly condemned the terrorist attacks perpetrated on Friday on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, which left behind around 50 dead and many injured. They conveyed a message of condolence to the families of the victims and reiterated Romania’s support in fighting terrorism. The PM of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, described the attack as “an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence” adding that the authorities are on maximum alert level. She said 4 extremist suspects were arrested, and none of them were on security watch lists. PM Ardern underlined that New Zealand was a place of diversity, wellbeing and compassion, a home for those who share these values, that cannot be shaken by this attack. Islamic and political leaders from Asia have expressed their abhorrence at the attack, as their fellow nationals were allegedly killed in the attack.

Prague – The Romanian PM Viorica Dancila is paying an official visit to Prague upon the invitation of her Czech counterpart Andrej Babis. Talks are aimed at consolidating economic and political ties and are focusing on the main files currently negotiated within the EU and on the way in which the Czech Republic could support Romania to reach the key objectives of the presidency of the Council of the EU. The visit agenda also includes meetings with high officials from the Czech Republic, the PM Andrej Babis and the speakers of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Senate.

Brexit — European leaders are looking into the request of British MPs for Brexit to be postponed. The British Parliament on Thursday evening passed the motion through which the government headed by Theresa May is asking for a postponement of Brexit that should first be accepted by the European leaders. The president of the European Council Donald Tusk is having talks today with the Dutch premier Mark Rutte, with the German chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President Emmanuel Macron. The EU leaders are to meet in Brussels on March 21 and 22, when they are expected to make a decision in relation to extending the deadline for Brexit beyond the current dealine of March 29.

European summit — The participants in the 8th European Summit of regions and cities on Friday adopted the Bucharest Declaration entitled ‘Building the EU from scratch, together with the regions and cities’. The declaration was officially handed in, on Friday, to President Klaus Iohannis by the president of the European committee of Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, and it represents the contribution of local and regional authorities within the EU to the drafting of the 2019-2024 strategic agenda, which will be presented to the EU leaders in Sibiu on May 9, 2019. The document also includes ten measures aimed at consolidating the democratic basis of the EU and at strengthening the EU actions at local level in order to build a better future for the European citizens. (translation by L. Simion)