September 26, 2018
Click here for a round-up of news from Romania
Bogdan Matei, 26.09.2018, 13:15
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, will give a national address during the general debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. He will refer to the current challenges to peace, equitability and sustainability of the UN member states and to the role played by the UN in tackling these issues. The Romanian president will also dwell on Romania’s commitments as a member state, the more so as the country will hold the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019, underlining that strengthening the relationship between the EU and the UN is a priority. Last but not least, Klaus Iohannis will also approach the issue of Romania’s candidacy for a new mandate of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020 — 2021 period. The UN General Assembly this year is focussing on gender equality, migration and refugees, working in decent conditions, the role of young people with respect to peace and security, supporting the rights of disabled people, actions taken in the field of climate change and revitalising the activity of the organisation.
VISIT– Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă is currently on a working visit to Brussels. During the talks she will approach topical issues on the European agenda, in the run up to Romania’s taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Dancila will also reiterate Bucharest’s readiness to actively contribute to the process of reflecting on and building Europe’s future. On Tuesday, Viorica Dăncilă held talks with European officials, among whom Udo Bullmann and Manfred Weber. The Romanian PM has also made a presentation of the reforms initiated by the government in key domains for Romania and has shown that they are the result of transparent inter-institutional cooperation, the opinion of European partners having been requested when drafting them. The talks in Brussels are unfolding ahead of the EP plenary session due in Strasbourg, next week. The Romanian PM has been invited to attend a debate on the anti-governmental protests of August 10 in Bucharest, which were ended by the forceful gendarme intervention.
MOTION– The Chamber of Deputies has today rejected the simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party, in opposition, against the agriculture minister, Petre Daea. The document was debated on Tuesday. The Liberals denounce minister Daea’s lack of action to contain the African swine fever epidemic in Romania and demanded his resignation. The National Liberal Party says the population’s food safety was at risk and that the pork industry has been compromised in Romania for a long time from now on. In response, the agriculture minister said the relevant authorities had taken the measures established at European level for such cases and the evolution of the Swine fever, for which there is no vaccine or cure at the moment, is strictly monitored. Some 900 outbreaks have been confirmed in several counties across the country since the emergence of the first outbreak in Romania in late July 2017.
DEFENCE — Romanian defence minister Mihai Fifor underlined in Washington on Tuesday Bucharest’s efforts to consolidate security on NATO’s eastern flank. He also mentioned Romania’s commitment to observe the equitable role, risk and responsibility sharing principle within the Alliance. According to a communiqué issued by the Defece Ministry, during his visit to the US, Fifor has had a series of meeting with representatives of companies active in the defence industry, together with whom he approached issues related to prospective cooperation in the field. On that occasion, the Romanian official restated the Romanian government’s intention to develop all national strategic acquisition programs, through the Romanian defence industry.
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT — Romania’s Constitutional Court has today postponed until October 16 the discussion on the notification sent by president Klaus Iohannis relative to the changes brought to the Law on the Status of local officials. The president says the changes introduce new sanctions for local and county counsellors, which are stipulated by another law, namely that referring to the conflict of interest. Klaus Iohannis also shows in the notification he sent to the Constitutional Court that these provisions run counter to the Constitution, which provides for law clarity.
RadiRo — Season tickets are available as from today for the symphonic concerts given during the RadiRo International Festival, the only festival in Europe and the world devoted to radio orchestras, organised by Radio Romania. The festival runs between October 18 and 25, in Bucharest. The musical highlight of the autumn in Bucharest will bring together some of the best known radio symphony orchestras in Great Britain, Switzerland, Ireland and Germany, Big-Bands from Denmark and Croatia, alongside Radio Romania’s National Orchestra and the Big Band. The novelty this year is a series of jazz concerts given among others by the Romanian-born vocalist, Aura Urziceanu.
