May 4, 2017

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Newsroom, 04.05.2017, 13:36

PARDON BILL — The Senate’s judicial committee today rolled back yesterday’s decision, dismissing all amendments to the Government’s bill on collective pardon, whereby sentences for some acts of corruption could be written off. According to the amendments passed on Wednesday, bribe taking and giving as well as influence peddling were on a list of crimes that would be written off provided the inmate commits to covering the prejudice suffered by the state. Hundreds the people protested in Bucharest and other large cities against these amendments. Protesters vented their anger at politicians, whom they see as deeply corrupt. The Government, who initiated the draft law on collective pardon, as well as the Chamber of Deputies Speaker and Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea have argued against pardoning acts of corruption. Authorities see the bill on collective pardon as a possible solution to prison overcrowding. The European Court of Human Rights has called on Bucharest authorities to come up with a set of measures to improve detention conditions.

VISIT — Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grideanu today met with Israeli president Reuven Rivlin and his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu as part of his official visit to Israel. The visit also occasioned the signing of two bilateral documents: a declaration on cutting international roaming fees and a joint statement on cooperation in such fields as the transport of electricity and natural gas, research, development and innovation, state-of-the-art technologies and investment. Sorin Grindeanu also visited the Yad Vashem Martyr and Hero Memorial in Jerusalem and reiterated the Romanian Government’s decision to set up a Museum of Jewish and Holocaust History in Romania.

INVESTIGATION — Prosecutors with the National Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism have arrested 21 people in the investigation regarding the undervalued sale of train cars decommissioned by the Freight division of the Romanian Railway Company CFR. The people under investigation, including the former director Mihut Craciun, employees and the managers of the branches of the Freight division across the country, are being charged with setting up an organized crime group, aggravated embezzlement, forgery of deeds and use of forged documents. According to the anti-crime prosecutors, throughout 2016 the people under investigation allegedly sold some 2,500 train cars below market value on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, causing a prejudice worth six million euros.

BILATERAL COOPERATION — Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall is on a two day visit to Madrid, Spain. Talks with Spanish officials focus on topics of mutual interest on the European agenda, such as the future of the EU, Brexit negotiations, traditional policies and prospects for the upcoming financial framework, the EU’s internal security and the Schengen Area. At the same time talks will also tackle the status and opportunities of bilateral cooperation on EU matters, with a focus on the Romanian community in Spain. Minister Ana Birchall will reiterate Romania’s commitment and determination to take an active part in talks on the future of the EU and the role of common policies.

PRESDENTIAL DEBATE — The French presidential election Emmanuel Macron has strengthened his position as favorite to win Sunday’s second presidential ballot after the televised debate he attended jointly with his opponent Marine Le Pen. This was the only debate held for the two rounds, and the two contenders traded harsh words and even insults. For the first time in France’s post-war history, the candidates of the traditional right and left wings failed to qualify to the presidential second round. Defeated in the first round by Macron, Le Pen labeled him “the representative of wild globalization” and criticized him for his superficial approach to terrorism. Macron said Le Pen is a dangerous nationalist feeding on France’s suffering. The French and international media writes the debate was brutal and violent, with the two contenders verbally abusing each other unlike never before in the history of presidential debates in this country.

HANDBALL — The Romanian men’s handball team is today playing Serbia on home turf in the northwestern city of Baia Mare. The match is counting towards Group 2 of the 2018 European Championship preliminaries. Romania has two wins, 26-23 against Belarus and 28-23 against Poland. Serbia won the first game 37-32 against Poland, but lost surprisingly to Belarus at home, 27-36. (Translated by V. Palcu)