May 30, 2018

Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, is having talks in Bucharest with HRH the Prince of Wales/ Romanias Constitutional Court might issue today a ruling on the “conflict of state powers regarding the rejection of the request to revoke the head of DNA

Ştefan Stoica, 30.05.2018, 14:08

PRINCE CHARLES – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, is having talks in Bucharest with the heir to the British Crown, HRH the Prince of Wales, the Presidential Administration has announced. Last year, HRH Prince Charles came to Romania several times, both on private and official visits. In token of appreciation for his activity in Romania and for promoting its image abroad, in 2017, Klaus Iohannnis awarded Prince Charles the “Star of Romania National Order in Rank of Grand Cross. For two decades, the Prince of Wales comes almost every year to Romania, where he owns several properties. He also runs a charity which encourages the preservation of heritage, traditional agriculture and sustainable development in Romania.

DNA – Romanias Constitutional Court might issue today a ruling on the “conflict of state powers regarding the presidents rejection of the request to revoke the head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruţa Kovesi. Justice minister, Tudorel Toader, is the one who notified the Constitutional Court after Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, rejected as “ungrounded his request to sack the chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Agency. Toader considers that the presidents refusal, motivated by the lack of political opportunity, is meant to create an institutional blockage. In the presidents opinion, however, this refusal is not the cause of an institutional blockage, but it is the finalisation of a procedure and the act of exerting legal responsibilities by the head of state. We recall the rejection of the revocation request came after the Superior Council of Magistracy issued a negative opinion on the line ministers request, which is a consultative but mandatory opinion in this procedure.

SCHENGEN – EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, and political groups in the European Parliament on Tuesday evening reiterated their support for Romanias and Bulgarias Schengen accession. During a debate in Strasbourg, focussing on a report on the functioning of the free movement area, Avramopoulos said Romania and Bulgaria will make Schengen a safer area and he called on the EU Council to endorse the two countries accession. The EPP Group, the ALDE Group and the European United Left Group in the European Parliament stood for receiving Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen area. The two countries accession to the free movement area, scheduled for 2011, has been postponed because the opposition shown by some member states, which mentioned the lack of reform in the domain of justice.

PROCEDURE CODES – The special parliamentary committee for the justice laws is today debating modifications brought to the Criminal Procedure Code. The jurist Senators and Deputies should adopt a project which includes both rulings issued by the Constitutional Court and the EU Directive on the presumption of innocence, after the European Commission launched the infringement procedure against Romania. On Tuesday, the Senate adopted major modifications to the Civil Procedure Code.

BOOKFEST 2018– Bookfest 2018, the book fair which brings together over 150 publishing houses has today opened its doors in Bucharest. This years honorary guest is the USA. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet outstanding personalities of Romanian culture, such as Lucian Boia, Mircea Cărtărescu, Radu Paraschivescu, Vintilă Mihăilescu, Andrei Pleşu and Tatiana Niculescu. According to the organisers, hundreds of events, film screenings and book launches will be organised during the fair, which runs until June 3. The participation of the USA is held under the motto “Celebrating the South and gives Romanian readers the opportunity to meet American authors.

ROLAND GAROS– Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu (no.30 WTA) has today qualified, for the first time, into the third round of the Roland Garros, the second largest grand slam tournament of the year. She defeated, in the second round, Swedens Rebecca Peterson (no.97 WTA). No.1 WTA and first seed Simona Halep has also qualified into the second round after defeating today American Alison Riske (no.83 WTA), in a match which should have been played yesterday, but which has been postponed. Another Romanian, Alexandra Dulgheru (no.159) failed to qualify into the third round, after she lost to Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, no. 24. On Tuesday, Irina Begu (no.41 WTA) and Ana Bogdan (no.65 WTA) managed to secure qualification in the second round of the tournament.