July 9 – 14
The main headline-grabbing events this past week
Roxana Vasile, 15.07.2017, 13:22
Romanias new prime minister, the Social Democrat Mihai Tudose traveled to Brussels this week on his first foreign trip
He gave assurances that Romania remains a reliable partner that will rigorously fulfill its commitments. He met the presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker respectively, the head of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. The talks tackled a series of subjects, from the latest economic developments to Romanias Schengen accession, the state of the judiciary and the absorption of European funds. Regarding this latter subject, the prime minister said he was seeking better collaboration between his ministers and European officials:
“All ministers involved in European projects are to travel to Brussels at least once a month to discuss with the Commissioners; there will be regular contacts with the Council and the Commission to make sure that what we do in Romania does not reach Brussels in a distorted way and that there are no major discrepancies between reality and perception.”
Speaking about the economy, Tudose said Romanias budget deficit would not exceed 3% of the GDP and that his government was no longer planning to introduce the controversial turnover tax.
Romanian military are taking part the Saber Guardian 17 multinational exercise
Romanian military are taking part, until the end of next week, in the Saber Guardian 17 multinational exercise hosted by three allied states, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. The exercise involves more than 25,000 service members and 2,000 technical resources from over 20 allied states. The military will train in the fast movement of combat equipment, tanks and armoured vehicles backed by air forces, combat shooting, crossing water courses, medical evacuation and the treatment of the wounded. On Thursday, president Klaus Iohannis travelled to Mihail Kogalniceanu, in southeastern Romania, where a Saber Guardian exercise was taking place.
The president said Romania requested an offer from the United States with regard to the acquisition of Patriot missile systems. Klaus Iohannis:
“We have requested an offer from the American side and you probably heard that our request has been published on the State Departments website. The request is still to be approved and then negotiations will begin and when we have a clear result we will make it public.”
The Patriot missile system is a surface-to-air advanced system that can be used in the event of an attack by aircraft and ballistic and cruise missiles.
The Romanian Education reform is back in the spotlight
The baccalaureate pass rate stands at 72.9% this year after the first session, up almost 5% compared with 2016, the education ministry has announced this week. At a debate held recently and attended by representatives of employers and the authorities, the idea was put forward that introducing a dual education system, which would allow graduates to enter the labour market while continuing their studies, is the number one factor that could support Romanias reindustrialisation. Participants said the elimination of vocational training was a mistake that needs to be corrected as soon as possible because the lack of skilled personnel is an obstacle to development. Parliament had passed a bill that changes the organisation and structure of dual education in Romania, but president Klaus Iohannis refused to sign it into law, sending it back to Parliament. Iohannis says that in its current version, the bill would have negative effects on the quality of the education process. His decision was welcomed by the main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, which called on all parliamentary parties to re-examine the bill as soon as possible.
Romania is facing the biggest measles epidemic in recent history
Since September last year, when the epidemic broke out, 31 persons have died and 7,500 have become sick. The immunization rate has dropped significantly, mainly because parents refuse to vaccinate their children. In a government meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said 180,000 children have not received vaccination against measles. He called on the healthcare minister Florian Bodog to come up with a wide-scale information campaign:
“By next week at the latest, Im expecting you to put together, jointly with the media and any other means of communication, a campaign that would make it clear for all Romanians that they need to have their children vaccinated. The situation is unacceptable! I understand that while the vaccines are available, they havent reached the beneficiaries.”
The World Health Organisation has described the measles outbreak, which has caused 35 deaths in Europe, mostly in Romania, an “unacceptable tragedy”.
The first edition of the NeverSea Festival was held at the weekend on the beach of Constanta
For three days, some 150,000 people danced to the electronic music tunes in what organizers termed a success. It was the largest such festival held on a beach in Romania, and the only one of its kind in Europe. Some 150 international artists electrified the audience, putting on a memorable show with amazing choreographies on the seven stages of the festival. NeverSea put Constanta on the map of top-level music events, alongside the Untold festival, which turned Cluj-Napoca in northwestern Romania into a favourite destination for music fans in summertime. Organized by the same team behind NeverSea, this year Untold will reach its 3rd edition, running from August 3 through 6.
