November 12, 2015

For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.

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Newsroom, 12.11.2015, 12:00

COLECTIV – Another two people who suffered burn injuries in the Colectiv nightclub fire on October 30 died on Thursday morning, raising the death toll to 53. 67 patients are still in hospital care in Bucharest, although the number of patients in critical condition has dropped below 15. 37 patients are receiving treatment in hospitals in Europe and Israel. The state is covering all transportation and treatment-related costs. At the same time the Government has earmarked additional funds to hospitals where the patients are being treated. The patients and their families are also getting psychotherapy.

CABINET – Prime Minister designate Dacian Ciolos is trying to establish the names and programme of his Cabinet. Ciolos on Wednesday held consultations with parliamentary parties. The National Liberal Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the group of national minorities in Parliament have announced their support for the new Cabinet. Instead, the Social-Democratic Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats from Romania and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania are waiting for the list of names and the governing program to be made public. Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu said the Prime Minister designate was expected to present his team and program on Monday, while on Tuesday the new Cabinet might be sworn in. Social-Democrat Victor Ponta stepped down as Prime Minister last week after mass protests across the country in the wake of the Colectiv nightclub tragedy.

MIGRATION SUMMIT – EU heads of state and government met in Malta with counterparts from African states to address the migration issue. EU leaders agreed to set up a trust fund of 1.8 billion euros in response to the refugee crisis. Each EU Member State can make an additional, separate contribution to this fund, with a view to doubling the amount. European Council president Donald Tusk has called an informal meeting after the summit, amidst rising tensions among Member States as to how the refugee crisis should be handled. EU leaders will review the status of implementation of the decisions taken in September and October, especially concerning cooperation with third-party states, such as Turkey. Representing Romania at the Summit in Malta is President Klaus Iohannis.

SALARY RISE – Public sector salaries will go up as of December 1, 2015 by 10%, after the Chamber of Deputies passed a draft law with 311 votes in favour, seven abstentions and one vote against. The proposal of the Social-Democratic Party was voted by MPs on both sides of the political spectrum, including the Liberals who originally criticized the bill. 2016 is an election year and the law on fiscal accountability forbids any salary rise during an election year.

MOLDOVA – Moldova might cease to exist as a state, the Moldovan Defence Minister Anatol Salaru has warned. The Moldovan official says the republic faces two imminent threats: corruption in the local administration and Russias appetite for expanding its influence. “We have no Government, external financing has been put on hold and the political class is destabilized, says Anatol Salaru, a Liberal MP known for upholding Western and Romanian values. Salarus warnings follow the demise of the Strelet Cabinet in the wake of a no-confidence vote spearheaded by the Socialist and Communist opposition and backed by the Democrats, which led to the break-up of the pro-Western ruling coalition made up of the Liberal, Liberal-Democratic and Democratic Parties.

INVESTIGATION – Russia must conduct its own investigation into the accusations of organized doping levied by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WAA), says Russian president Vladimir Putin, whose country risks being banned from all competitions. The declaration was made after the WAA revealed in its latest report that the Russian anti-doping system is corrupt, involving top-level cover-ups. The Russian Athletics Federation president alongside with several coaches have been sacked and several athletes received suspensions. The scandal also raises questions about the very participation of Russian athletes in the Rio Olympics of 2016. Russia is the second best-performing nation in world athletics after the United States.

STRIKE – The strike of the cabin crew of Germanys Lufthansa airlines has been extended until Friday. Cabin crew unionists went on strike on November 6 due to protest against the early retirement conditions. Lufthansa started negotiations with various categories of employees in an attempt to curb its expenses and to be able to compete with low-cost airliners and transporters from the Persian Gulf. The first four days of the strike led to cancelling 1,800 flights, including from Romania. Hundreds of thousands of passengers have been affected. The strike is staged in airports in Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf. In the last 18 months, Lufthansa pilots called 13 strikes that did not affect the low-cost branches of the German company – Eurowings, Germanwings, SWISS and Austrian Airlines.

(news bulletin translated by Vlad Palcu)