March 27, 2017

Daniel Constantin (ALDE) to be replaced as Environment Minister

Newsroom, 27.03.2017, 15:33

ALDE – Daniel Constantin, co-president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), has lost the political support of his party for the positions of deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister, which he was holding in the leftist government in Bucharest led by Sorin Grindeanu. Gratiela Gavrilescu has been proposed to replace Daniel Constantin. The decision was made after Constantin had contested a decision by some party colleagues that an extraordinary congress be staged next month, the other ALDE co-president Calin Popescu Tariceanu explained. He has also criticized Constantin for his latest political moves. Constantin has rejected the allegations adding the decision runs against the partys status. At present Gavrilescu is minister for the relation with Parliament but ALDE proposed this portfolio be taken over by Viorel Ilie. Social-Democratic Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu on Monday said upon the latest PSD-ALDE session that it would forward the proposals to president Klaus Iohannis.

CALL – The European Union has called on Moscow to release immediately the several hundred protesters the authorities arrested during the peaceful anti-graft rallies in Russia on Sunday. Famous anti-Putin campaigner Aleksei Navalny is reportedly among those arrested. Tens of thousands protesters all over the country have chanted anti-government slogans asking for the resignation of Prime Minister Medvedev whom they accuse of corruption. Navalny, who is a lawyer, has been denouncing high-level corruption in Russia for years now and has made public his intention to run in the presidential election in 2018.

CELEBRATION – Bucharest and other big cities across Romania are today hosting events aimed at celebrating 99 years since the union of Bessarabia with Romania, an event recently declared a national holiday by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. On Sunday in Chisinau, hundreds of people attended a rally in support of the national flag, where they unfolded a 100-meter long flag chanting unionist slogans. On March 27th 1918, after the dismantling of the Czarist Empire, the countrys legislative body, which convened in solemn session, ruled with an absolute majority the union of Bessarabia with the Romanian kingdom after 106 years of Russian occupation. Through an ultimatum in 1940, Soviet Moscow annexed both Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, territories today belonging to the former soviet republics of Moldova and Ukraine.

TALKS – A new round of talks is taking place in Bucharest between the authorities and representatives of the policemen discontented with their low salaries. Interior Minister Carmen Dan said she would try to identify solutions together with trade unionists so that policemen may benefit from bonuses of 40% and 100% if they work during the weekends and other legal holidays. The minister of Public Consultations and Social Dialogue, Gabriel Petrea has explained that pay differences and other flaws in the system cannot be settled without affecting the budget. The policemen claim a 20% pay rise as well as bonuses for difficult work conditions, night shifts, for working on weekends and other legal holidays.

GAME Romanias national eleven ended in a draw their home fixture on Sunday against the Danish side in qualifying group E for the next years World Cup in Russia. Also on Sunday Montenegro conceded a 1-2 defeat to Poland and Armenia outperformed Kazahstan 2-0. The qualifyiers next leg is due on June 10th when Romania will be up against Poland in an away match. On the same date Kazahstan will be playing Denmark and Montenegro takes on Armenia. Poland tops the groups table with 13 points followed by Montenegro and Denmark both with 7, Romania and Armenia each with 6 and Kazahstan with 2 points. We recall the Romanian national side is for the first time in its history led by a foreign selector, German Cristoph Daum, who came to the helm in autumn upon the teams lackluster play at Euro 2016 in France.

TENNIS The worlds fifth tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep, today takes on Australian Samantha Stosur (WTA19) in the round of sixteen of the tournament in Miami, Florida, a competition with 6.9 million dollars in prize money. In the third round on Sunday the Romanian secured a two-set win 6-3, 6-0 against Estonian Anett Kontaveit. Another Romanian playing in Miami Patricia Tig has conceded a two-set defeat, 6-3, 6-0, to Venus Williams of the USA.

(translated by: Daniel Bilt)