May 26, 2014
Click here for a round-up of domestic and international news.
România Internațional, 26.05.2014, 12:00
EP ELECTIONS (ROMANIA)- The ruling alliance made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Conservative Party has got 37.40% of the votes in Sunday’s European elections in Romania, partial returns made public by the Central Electoral Bureau earlier today show. The ruling alliance is followed by two centre-right parties, the National Liberal Party with 14.86% of the votes, and the Liberal Democratic Party, with 12.23%. Winning seats in the European Parliament is also the independent candidate Mircea Diaconu, with 6.92% of the votes, who outdistanced the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania with 6.48% and the pro-presidential People’s Movement Party with 6.24%. The leader of the National Liberal Party, Crin Antonescu, has announced he will tender his resignation as party president, because his party got less than 20% of the votes, the target envisaged by the Liberals.
EP ELECTIONS (PARTIAL RETURNS)-Europe is in a state of shock on Monday, in the wake of the political earthquake caused by the triumph of the far-right National Front in France and of the UKIP anti-European party in Great Britain, which prove the voters’ rejection of the EU, as it is being organised right now and of the ruling national elites, France Presse reports. According to the partial returns made public by the European Parliament, 212 of the 751 total number of seats have been secured by the EPP, 187 by the Socialists, 72 by the Liberals and 55 by the Greens. The European United Left will get 43 seats, the Conservatives 45 and the Liberals and Democrats for Europe, 35 seats. Winning seats in the European Parliament are also 39 non-affiliated MPs and 63 newly elected MPs, who are not members of a political group. Most of them are representing far right or Euro-sceptic parties. The turnout at the level of the whole European Union stood at 43.1%.
MOTION-The Romanian Parliament is today debating and voting on a censure motion filed by the National Liberal Party, in opposition, against the Government led by Social-Democrat Victor Ponta. The initiators of the motion accuse the cabinet of failing to comply with the pledges it has made as regards the introduction of tax- exemptions for reinvested profit and reducing social securities contributions. In another move, the minister delegate for the budget, Liviu Voinea, has given assurances that the measure regarding the 5% reduction in employer social securities contributions will become a certainty as of July the 1st.
UKRAINE– West-leaning billionaire Petro Poroshenko has got 54% of the votes in Sunday’s early presidential election in Ukraine, partial returns made public by the Central Electoral Commission in Kiev show. Ranking second is former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, with 13%. The turnout stood at 60%. Signing an agreement with the pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, the European integration of the former Soviet republic and organising early parliamentary elections are some of Poroshenko’s priorities, international news agencies note. We’ll revert to this issue, later in RN.
NEGOTIATIONS– The EU, Ukraine and Russia are today taking part in a round of negotiations held in Berlin on the Russian gas supplies to the European Union. Attending the meeting are also the EU Commissioner for Energy, Günther Oettinger, and the Russian and Ukrainian line ministers, Alexandre Novak and Yuri Prodan, respectively. Last week, the EU called on Russia to comply with the commitment it had made in terms of natural gas deliveries. Earlier, the Russian group Gazprom has warned Ukraine that, as of June 3rd, it will cease delivering gas if the Kiev authorities do not pay a bill worth approximately 1.7 billion dollars. We recall that Russia provides a third of the EU’s natural gas needs, and half of this amount is transiting Ukraine.
POPE- On the third day of his ecumenical pilgrimage to the Middle East, Pope Francis has today launched an appeal to Muslims, Christians and Jews “to work together for justice and peace”, France Presse reports. Today, the Pope is visiting Jerusalem. Yesterday in Bethlehem, the Holy Pontiff invited the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmud Abbas, and Israeli President, Shimon Peres, at the Vatican, to pray together with him for peace. Both presidents have accepted the invitation.
TENNIS-Romanian tennis player Sorana Carstea, currently ranked 26th in the world, is today playing against Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak, in the first round of the Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year. On Tuesday, also in the first round, Simona Halep, ranked 4th in the world, will meet Russian Alisa Kleibanova, and Alexandra Cadantzu, ranked 81st, will play against Dutch Kiki Bertens. On Sunday, Monica Niculescu, ranked 76th WTA, qualified for the second round, after defeating Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in three sets. In the men’s competition, Romania is represented in the Paris-based tournament by Victor Hanescu, whereas the pair made up of Romanian Horia Tecau and Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer is 13th seeded.
