September 6, 2018

Romanian PM Dancila visits Spain; Justice Minister Toader nominates new head of anti-corruption

Bogdan Matei, 06.09.2018, 13:07

MADRID — Romanian PM Viorica Dancila is today in Spain where she meets her counterpart Pedro Sanchez, and King Felipe 6th. She is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Paul Stanescu and Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu, Defense Minister Mihai Fifor, Business Minister Stefan Oprea, and Minister for European Funds Rovana Plumb. According to Dancila, the agenda includes European issues and enhancing bilateral cooperation. The members of the Romanian community in Spain announced they would protest the visit, angry at the violent intervention of security forces at the August 10 protest of diaspora organizations.

JUSTICE — Romanian Minister of Justice Tudorel Toader nominated today Adina Florea to become the next head of the Anti-corruption Directorate. She is a prosecutor with the Constanta Tribunal. The nomination will be forwarded to the prosecutor section of the Supreme Council of Magistracy, which has to endorse the appointment, then sent for endorsement to President Klaus Iohannis. The position became vacant in May, when the president was compelled by the Constitutional Court to dismiss former head prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi, as requested by Justice Minister Toader.

EU — The government will publish in November the calendar of events related to the Romanian presidency of the EU Council. The announcement was made by Minister for European Affairs Victor Negrescu, specifying that Romania is prepared to manage in terms of organization and logistics events during its term, occurring in the first half of next year. The estimated budget that Romania manages during its term is estimated at 60 to 80 billion Euro, said Daniel Gosa, general manager of the unit for preparing the presidency. According to him, a review was made made for local resources in terms of allocating accommodation for meetings and lodging, as well as transportation for the events to be held next year in Bucharest and Sibiu.

EPIDEMIC — The National Veterinary Healthcare Authority in Romania received the budget adjustment passed on Wednesday by the government, which adds 30 million Euro to the efforts to wipe out the swine fever epidemic in the country. The institution said that assessments have been run for over 3000 households and farms, of which 167 have been compensated. The total value of damages being paid is 10 million Euro, provided by the state and by European Commission funds. 180 outbreaks are reported in 11 counties, with 140,000 pigs culled as a result. The virus affects domestic and wild pigs, with a 100% rate of death.

FOOTBALL — The Romanian national football team plays at home in Ploiesti against Montenegro, in its first game in the newly created League of Nations. On Monday, the Romanians will play against Serbia in Belgrade, and against Lithuania, also away from home, as part of Group 4 of the European competition. The results of the games count towards the European Championships in 2020.

BRUSSELS — A debate was held on Wednesday in Brussels in the European Parliament on the issues of Romanians living outside the country. Some of the participants claimed that the rights to language, history and culture in historical territories were violated by the authorities of states where ethnic Romanians have been living. They argued that ethnic Romanians were not provided with education in their native language, resulting in higher rates of assimilation. High on the agenda was the attacks on the identity of the half million Romanians living in Ukraine, as a result of the new law of education passed by Kiev. The representatives of Romanians in Timoc Valley, in Serbia, said that ethnic Romanians there do not even have state recognition as a minority.