September 13, 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 13.09.2019, 14:00
ELECTION — The Permanent Election Authority has drawn up and launched for public debate a draft of the guide setting the rules for the financing of the presidential election campaign. In another development, on Thursday, the Romanian government approved a draft order tabled by the Permanent Election Authority under which the registration term for the Romanian citizens living abroad as voters has been extended until Sunday, September 15th. Also, the diplomatic missions have until October 19 to propose the Foreign Ministry the opening of new polling stations abroad. The first round of the presidential elections in Romania will be held on November 10 and the second one on November 24.
MOLDOVA — Following the change of government in June 2019, the Republic of Moldova has moved resolutely forward with the implementation of key reforms to address the deterioration of democratic standards and the rule of law, in order to allow citizens to fully benefit from the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, the European Commission said in the Association Implementation Report published on Thursday. Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, has said that in July 2019 the Commission already resumed budget support payments and also signed with the Government financing agreements on sustainable local development and rule of law that will allow for the implementation of programmes bringing tangible results to the people of Moldova. ”We are ready to further step up our financial support and advice in response to the Governments robust reform agenda,” Commissioner Hahn has also said.
STRIKE — The city of Paris has been paralyzed today by a strike of the transport network (RATP) in protest over plans to reform the pension system. People have been advised to keep their travel to a minimum today. The strike is the first in a series of actions planned in protest over the proposed reform of Frances pension system. The reforms would simplify the current system, with a standardized pension regime rather than the current 42 different ones. Transport workers, who have certain exemptions for early retirement, would be particularly affected by the changes. The pension regime specific to RATP workers allows train drivers and other staff that work underground to retire at 52, a decade earlier than the normal legal retirement age for a full public pension.
ENESCU FESTIVAL — The Radio Hall in Bucharest venues this evening a concert from the 21st Century Music Series of the George Enescu Festival. Taking the stage will be the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Peter Rundel. Also, today, at the Romanian Athenaeum, the audience has the chance to listen to Kremerata Baltica orchestra, made up of Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian musicians, under the baton of violinist Gidon Kremer. The George Enescu International Festival is taking place between the 31st of August and the 22nd of September and brings together more than 2,500 of the worlds greatest musicians in 84 different concerts and recitals. Events as part of the festival are held in the capital Bucharest and other cities across Romania, as well as in Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the Republic of Moldova.
VOLEYBALL – Romania’s volleyball side is today playing against Bulgaria, in Montpellier, France. This is the Romanians’ second match in European Championship’s group A. On Thursday, in the debut match, Romania was defeated by France, 3-0 . European champions in 2015, France needed only 64 minutes to thrash the Romanian side. With 12 points scored, Robert Adrian Aciobanitei was the best player of the Romanian side who made its comeback to the competition after 24 years. In the other games of the group Bulgaria defeated Greece 3-0, while Italy secured also a 3-0 win against Portugal.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
