May 10, 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 10.05.2019, 14:12
ROYALTY DAY – Royally Day is celebrated in Romania today, recalling three crucial events that helped crystallize the Romanian modern state. On May 10th, 1866, Carol, of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family, was sworn in, before the Romanian Parliament, as ruler of Romania, thus laying the foundation of the dynasty. On May 10th, 1877, Carol I proclaimed Romanias state independence from the Ottoman Empire, and four days later he was crowned king. May 10th was Romanias national day until the communists took over power. In 1947, they forced the last king, Michael I, to abdicate and go into exile. He was allowed to come back to the country only in 1992, almost three years after the anti-Communist Revolution of December 1989. The former Sovereign of Romania, King Michael I, died on December 5th, 2017, at the age of 96, and was buried on December 16th, in Curtea de Arges, the royal burial place where the other monarchs of Romania (Carol I, Ferdinand and Carol II, as well as the wife of the last king, Queen Anne) also rest. The first-born of his five daughters, Princess Margareta, became the custodian of the Crown of Romania.
SIBIU SUMMIT – European media have covered the call for unity launched at the informal EU summit held in Sibiu, central Romania, but are questioning the goal set by the attending leaders. Euronews quotes the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, as saying that on May 28th he will call a meeting of all EU leaders, in order to start the process of nominating the new EU leadership. Reporting on Sibiu Declaration, Euronews says that it mainly contains principles, rather than firm commitments. Politico.eu too reads that the EU leaders focus on unity, while at the same time seeing turbulence ahead. The publication recalls that the biggest issues will concern the appointing of the heads of institutions, in particular the European Commission President. Der Spiegel has been rather acid in tone, saying that the bargaining for top positions has started. The correspondent in Sibiu of the Spanish daily El Pais has reported that “the battle for community leadership threatens to block the EU”. “(..) The 27 EU governments had their first clash in Sibiu, concerning the distribution of power after the elections for the European Parliament, due on May 26th”, El Pais also reads. According to the same paper, “The fight is very likely to be fierce, and might place the EU into a deadlock, if the European Parliament will be as fragmented as the polls show.” The event in Sibiu was almost completely ignored by the media in the UK, where football grabbed all the headlines.
INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR – For the 11th consecutive year, Romania is taking part in the International Book Fair, the second largest in Europe, hosted this year by Turin, over May 9th – 13th. The guest of honour at the fair is the Emirate of Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates, which this year is holding the title of UNESCO World Book Capital, and the guest language is Spanish. The theme of the 32nd edition is “Il gioco del mondo/the game of the world”, and the concept of the Romanian stand, organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute, focuses on our European culture and also Romanias holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU. Il Levante, the latest version in Italian of Mircea Cartarescus book is to be launched today at the fair. Saturday is devoted to the big Romanian thinkers Emil Cioran, Mircea Eliade and Constantin Noica.
US TARIFFS – Washington has today imposed a 25% rise in tariffs on 200 billion USD worth of Chinese goods, Reuters reports. The Chinese Trade Ministry has voice deep regrets that the US has decided to increase the tariffs and vowed to implement the “necessary countermeasures”, without providing any further details on that. Washingtons decision comes during the negotiations between the US and China aimed at saving a potential agreement that would stop the trade war thats been going on for ten months now between the two countries. The Asian stock markets registered a significant drop this morning, when the new tariffs were announced, and investors are now worried that a long trade war will affect the growth of world economy.
MADRID OPEN – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.3 in the WTA rankings, is taking on the Swiss Belinda Bencic (18 WTA) in the semi-finals of the Madrid tournament, with 7 million dollars in prize money. Halep, who on Thursday defeated the Australian Ashleigh Barty, no. 9 WTA, 7-5, 7-5, won the tournament back in 2016 and 2017. Also today, in the doubles event, the Romanian Horia Tecau and the Dutch Jean-Jullien Rojer will play in the semi-finals the pair made up of Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.
