September 19, 2018

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Newsroom, 19.09.2018, 12:53

EU COUNCIL MEETING – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday and Thursday is attending the informal meeting of the European Council held in Salzburg, Austria. The agenda for talks focuses on migration, internal security and Brexit. According to the presidency, Iohannis will argue in favor of continuing talks over the Dublin Regulation with a view to reaching consensus and strike a balance between the solidarity and responsibility of member states and preserving an asylum seekers ability to opt out of any form of relocation. As regards internal security, the meeting will address three priority topics: the protection of external borders, the EUs internal security and cyber security. As regards Brexit, President Iohannis will reiterate the importance of maintaining a coherent and unitary voice within the European Union in negotiations with Britain so that Brexit should be fair for all sides. According to the President, Romania will insist on protecting the rights and interests of Romanians living in Britain.

REFERENDUM – The Save Romania Union in opposition has called on the Ombudsman to challenge at the Constitutional Court the Governments emergency decree voted on Wednesday, calling a referendum on redefining the notion of family on October 6 and 7. Save Romania Union claims the Government and the ruling coalition have changed the referendum regulation after the process was initiated, which goes against best practices recommended by the Venice Commission. The Government called a referendum after Parliament recently voted a law to revise the Constitution, which stipulates that the family is the freely consented marriage between a man and a woman and not between spouses as it is at present.

HEARING – The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest set the first hearing in the case where Social-Democrat leader and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Liviu Dragnea was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment in the court of first instance for October 8. In June, the High Court of Cassation and Justice handed Dragnea the sentence for instigation to abuse of office. Anticorruption prosecutors say Liviu Dragnea ordered the fictitious employment of two party members at the Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate. The two were paid with taxpayer money, although they allegedly worked exclusively for the Social-Democratic Party. Liviu Dragnea denied the accusations. In 2016, Dragnea was handed a 2-year suspended prison sentence for attempted election fraud. This summer the High Court cancelled the ruling to suspend the prison sentence. In another development, the Social-Democratic leadership will convene on Friday to discuss discontent expressed by certain party leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development and Public Administration, Paul Stanescu, Senate vice-president Adrian Tutuianu and Bucharest Mayor, Gabriela Firea, who have called for Dragneas resignation.

AFRICAN SWINE FEVER – The African swine fever compels Bucharest authorities to take active measures to prevent the virus from spreading. In Vaslui County, northeastern Romania, a thousand boars must be put down by the end of February 2019, while in Tulcea County, southeastern Romania, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is seeking help to remove the populations of wild boars and jackals from the area. In Gorj County, southwestern Romania, although no virus cases have been signaled, veterinarians are on high alert, all animal trade fairs were closed down and the police are carrying out road traffic checks. Since the first outbreak was identified in Romania in late July, 2017, a total of 900 hotbeds have been confirmed in 13 counties in the northwest and southeast.

ROAD TRAFFIC – September 19 is the European Day Without a Road Death. On this occasion, the Romanian Police is intervening to sanction drivers exceeding the speed limit or not wearing seatbelts. Romania ranks last at EU level in terms of road traffic safety. Five people are killed every day in road traffic accidents.

RRI CONTEST – Tuesday Jonas Sell and Sabrina Friesenborg of Dortmund, Germany, ended their trip to Romania, won as part of RRIs prize-winning contest “Alba Iulia, the City of the Great Union. For nine days, the two winners, accompanied by editors of the German Service, visited the main tourist, cultural and religious attractions, as well as nature reserves and caves in the Apuseni Mountains, the city of Alba Iulia and its surroundings. Over April 1 and June 30 Radio Romania International organized a prize-winning contest devoted to the Centennial of the Great Union. Participants were required to provide written answers to 3 questions related to Alba Iulia and Alba Iulia County. Over 268 correct answers were sent in by our listeners.

(Translated by V. Palcu)