The Week in Review, 1-5 December

The main developments of the past week in Romania

România Internațional, 05.12.2015, 13:46

Romanians celebrated National Day

December 1st, Romanias national day, was celebrated by Romanians everywhere. The 97th anniversary of the union of all Romanians in a single state was celebrated at home and abroad with religious ceremonies, military parades, concerts and receptions. In Bucharest, thousands attended the impressive military parade. Over 2.600 soldiers and specialists, combat vehicles and armored vehicles filed through in front of Parliament building, with helicopters and Hercules and Spartan planes flying over. The Romanian military was joined in this endeavor by comrades from Moldova, Bulgaria, the US, Poland and Turkey. For the first time this year, joining the event was a unit made up of Romanian soldiers wounded in the West Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. The parade was attended by high state officials, including President Klaus Iohannis and PM Dacian Ciolos. The two pleaded for a new beginning in mentality and behavior, in honoring national symbols and valuing people who promote Romanian societal values.

Romania upgrades its role in NATO

In line with NATOs policy of consolidating its eastern flank, Romania will be hosting the NATO Multinational Division Southeast headquarters and a NATO Force Integration Unit. Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu signed in Brussels the agreement on the legal framework for the operation of these structures. Romanias key role in NATO and its significant contribution to the organization was recognized officially by the US as well. The House of Representatives in Washington passed a resolution on the 135th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, emphasizing Romanias commitment to the North Atlantic pact and to its alliance with the US. The document also emphasizes the role of the bilateral strategic partnership in promoting security, both transatlantic and regional. In a related event, 70 pieces of American military gear have arrived in Romania from Germany, going to the Mihail Kogalniceanu base.

Romania salutes Montenegros invitation to join NATO

Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu attended in Brussels a meeting of NATO counterparts, emphasizing that the open door policy promoted by the Alliance has benefited Romania, which joined the alliance in 2004. He added that it was Bucharests turn to support new aspiring members.

Lazar Comanescu: “This decision is very important as a message for countries that have a partnership with the Alliance. I am thinking primarily of Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine.

Romania saluted NATOs decision to invite Montenegro to join the organization, which would thus become its 29th member.

The parliament in Bucharest voted to lift immunity for Senator Dan Sova

A shift of attitude occurred in Parliament in Bucharest, which voted on Thursday to lift immunity for Social Democrat senator Dan Sova, who, only a few hours later, was detained by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate in a new case of corruption. Sova is accused of influence peddling in a legal assistance contract for a state-owned energy company. According to prosecutors, between 2011 and 2014, Sova accepted 100,000 Euro to persuade the general manager of the company to sign a contract with a specific law firm. In March, the Senate rejected a prosecution request from the NAD against Senator Sova, in a case involving two energy complexes in Rovinari and Turceni, also for corruption. The same case also involves former PM Victor Ponta, who resigned last month. At the same time, the deputies in the Judicial Oversight Committee approved temporary detention for Liberal parliamentarians Ioan Oltean and Catalin Teodorescu, also under suspicion of corruption. The final decision in their case will be made next week, when the lower chamber of Parliament convenes in plenary session.

Romania has a draft budget for 2016

The Romanian Finance Minister Anca Dragu has recently presented the main figures on which the 2016 draft budget was built. She said that the bill aims at stability and taxation predictability that would ensure business growth and private investment, and also a better use of budget resources. The minister said that the budget bill also provides for boosting pensions by 5% and rises in public employee salaries, already endorsed by Parliament. Minister Dragu has added that higher spending is scheduled for defense, investment, health, and education. The budget is built on a projected deficit lower than 3% of the GDP, and an economic growth worth 4%. The main fiscal measures to come into effect next year are reducing the VAT from its reference rate of 24% to 20%, and lowering the dividend tax rate from 16 to 5%.