The Week in Review 26.03-01.04.2018
A review of the past week's main events.
Roxana Vasile, 31.03.2018, 13:49
100 years since the union of Bessarabia with Romania
On March 27th, the Romanian Parliament organized a solemn session to celebrate 100 years since the union of Bessarabia with Romania. A declaration was adopted, reading that Parliament deems legitimate the wish of those citizens of the Republic of Moldova who support the union with Romania as a natural step in the process of the development and affirmation of the Romanian nation. A province with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population that was part of the Tsarist Empire for 106 years, Bessarabia became united with the Motherland in 1918. Years later, in 1940, the Soviet Union re-annexed it under an ultimatum, and the present-day Republic of Moldova was created on part of that territory. With the aim of stifling and denying the Romanian identity of the local population, the Soviet authorities invented a Moldovan language and identity, different from the Romanian one.
Also, during each and every election held in Moldova, there is a fierce battle between the politicians who support the country’s European integration and those who would like to bring Moldova back under Russia’s sphere of influence. We should not forget that in 1992, Moscow supported with troops the pro-Russian separatist ambitions in Transdniester, where Russian heavy weapons still exist. Therefore, things are by no means simple, and a reunification with Romania would take time. Until reunification becomes a genuine topic of discussion, Romanian officials agree that what is important right now is to strengthen the special relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova and support the European and Euro-Atlantic efforts of that small east-European state, which is the poorest in Europe.
On Wednesday, Transgaz Romania officially took over the similar company in the Republic of Moldova, Vestmoldtarnsgaz. On that occasion, Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said: “As of today, we can say that Transgaz became a regional player, and at the same time we are happy to witness the energy interconnection between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.”
The contract signed on the occasion will facilitate the building of the Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline, which will be a continuation of the pipeline that is now linking the city of Iasi in north-eastern Romania with Ungheni, in the east of Moldova.
The never-ending modification of the justice laws
The opposition National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union have for the second time notified the Constitutional Court with regard to the three justice laws on the status of magistrates, the organization of courts and the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy. The opposition accuses the ruling coalition of not taking seriously the changes advised by the Court and claims that, even changed, they still leave plenty of room for abuse and put a question mark over the independence of the Romanian judiciary.
Liberal MP Gabriel Andronache gives an example: “On the day they were passed, in the Senate’s plenary session an amendment was introduced to the law amending and completing Law 303, defined by the parliament majority as ‘technical-legislative correlation’, when it actually changed the definition of judicial error. It is unacceptable, in our opinion, for something like that to happen in parliamentary procedure. There are also many reasons referring to the content of these amendments which continue to make these regulations toxic for the Romanian justice system.”
The ruling Social Democratic Party argues the amendments have been made democratically and that the reformed justice laws are more necessary than ever. Here is the Social-Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea: “They have been challenged at the Constitutional Court and the Court has ruled that, with the exception of several articles, all laws are constitutional. Now we are going to se what they have challenged. Constitutional Court justices are going to analyze them again. This desperation will eventually end. “
Romania’s Constitutional Court has announced it will tackle the new notifications regarding the amendments to the justice laws by April 19th.
A new diplomatic row: Russia against everyone
Russia has decided to play victim and respond to the West in keeping with the principle of reciprocity, vehemently denying any involvement in the nerve agent attack against the former Russian double agent Serghei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Great Britain on March 4. According to the British police, a large quantity of neurotoxin has been detected on the entrance door of Skripal’s house.
As a strong signal conveyed to Moscow that it cannot defy international legislation over the use of chemical weapons, about 150 Russian diplomats from North America, Europe and Australia have been expelled in solidarity with Britain. Furthermore, in the United States, the Trump administration has closed down the Russian consulate in Seattle arguing that the premises were too close to the largest nuclear submarine base in the US. The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has also announced that a Russian diplomat will be declared persona non-grata and expelled from Romania.
Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has explained that a solidarity signal is needed mainly in the Brexit context, in order to prove that the EU wants to continue to have a very strong relationship with London in the field of defense and security even after Britain’s leaving the bloc. According to the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, Romania’s decision is probably the manifestation of what it calls “collective political madness”. Later in the week, the Sergei Skripal scandal got new proportions with Russia pledging reprisals against all the countries that chose to react to it.
