November 22, 2017 UPDATE

Former Bosnian Serb army leader Ratko Mladic, sentenced to life in prison / EC: Romania took no effective action in response Councils recommendation

Bogdan Matei, 22.11.2017, 19:11

LANGUAGE – The Romanian Government passed on Wednesday a series of measures aimed at granting direct support to the Romanian ethnics who study in their mother tongue in the neighbouring Ukraine and also to the teachers who teach courses in the Romanian language. The measures, proposed by the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad, consolidate the legal framework that allows for educational support from Romania for the Romanian ethnics in Ukraine. The Ministry for the Romanians Abroad will continue dialogue with the Ukrainian side, in trying to promote and protect the minorities’ right to study in their own language. The purpose is to find solutions so that the Romanian ethnics’ right to linguistic identity be respected.

EC — The European Commission has established that Romania took no effective action in response to the EU Council’s recommendation of June to correct its significant deviation from the adjustment path towards the medium-term budgetary objective, according to a EC release on Wednesday. In this context, the Commission proposes that the EU Council should adopt a revised recommendation to Romania, of an annual structural adjustment of at least 0.8% of the GDP in 2018. The European Commission recommends Bucharest to use any windfall gains for budget deficit reduction, while the budgetary consolidation measures should secure a lasting improvement in the general government structural balance, in a growth-friendly manner. Romania must report to the EU Council by April 2018 on the action taken in response to the EC’s recommendation.

WAR CRIMES — Former Bosnian Serb army leader Ratko Mladic was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of genocide, for atrocities committed during the Bosnian war from 1992 to 1995.The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted Mladic of crimes it labelled as some of the “most heinous” in human history. Mladic, aged 75, is responsible for the slaughter of 8,000 unarmed Bosnian Muslim men and boys in the town of Sebrenica and for his role in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, during which 100,000 people were killed and another 2.2 million displaced. Mladic had pleaded not guilty to all charges. His legal team said he would appeal against the verdict.

SMART CITIES – Romania is a good place for investors, but there are two things that scare business people off, namely, the unpredictable legal system and the bribes, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday in Ploiesti, in the south. Taking part in the debate “Romania’s cities 100 years since the Great Union. A smart future for Ploiesti”, the head of state signalled again the fact that the government’s so-called fiscal reform created confusion likely to affect investors’ confidence. Iohannis also said that the concept of smart city means a more active involvement of the citizens in the local governing and the communitys life.

PARLIAMENT — The no-confidence motion introduced by the right wing opposition against the ruling coalition in Bucharest will be debated and voted on in full Parliament session on Thursday, as decided by the two chambers on Wednesday. The motion calls for the resignation of the cabinet headed by the Social Democrat Mihai Tudose, who is accused of sparking confusion in the economic environment and the legal system, as well as of lowering the living standard of the population. In response, PM Tudose claimed that the fiscal reform will bring more money to the budget and the pension fund, while companies will benefit from simplified procedures.

PARADE — About 3,500 Romanian and foreign soldiers take part in the December 1st parade in Bucharest for Romanias National Day, the Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday. 50 aircraft will fly over the city’s Triumphal Arch, with 300 vehicles being part of the parade. December 1st marks the moment, right after WWI, when Greater Romania was formed of formerly divided territories with a majority Romanian population. This date was proclaimed the national day after the 1989 regime change in Romania.

FAIR – The 24th edition of the Gaudeamus – Book of Learning International Fair, organized by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, opened on Wednesday in Bucharest. It features 300 participating companies and over 800 editorial and professional events. The honorary president of the fair is Matei Visniec, a French based writer and journalist from Romania while the honorary guest this year is the European Commission. The event marks 60 years from the signing of the Rome Treaties, three decades since the launch of the Erasmus program, and 10 years since Romania joined the EU.

(Translated by Elena Enache)