The Week in Review 9-15.09.2024
Click here for the headline-grabbing events of the past week in Romania
Leyla Cheamil, 14.09.2024, 14:00
A new school year in Romania
Schools must be absolutely safe for the students, the teaching staff and the rest of the educational staff, said, on Monday, President Klaus Iohannis, who participated in the opening ceremony of the new school year at a college in Bucharest. Attending the event alongside the Education Minister, Ligia Deca, the head of state emphasized that one of the top priorities of the “Educated Romania” project, transposed into the education laws of 2023, was the creation of a school and university environment that is not only conducive to educational development, but is also a space where all those involved feel protected and respected. Approximately three million Romanian preschoolers and pupils started a new school year on Monday. The government promises that the 2024-2025 school year will be the last one in which pupils go to school in three shifts. At present, there are only 19 such units in Bucharest and in Ilfov county (near Bucharest). According to the Education Ministry, at the beginning of the school year, 800 schools out of the total of over 6,000 school units in Romania are relocated for reasons of rehabilitation, modernization or construction.
Romanian and the war in Ukraine
Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, has convened the meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) for September 19, in Bucharest, the Presidential Administration announced on Thursday. The agenda of the meeting includes topics related to the stage and prospects of the conflict in Ukraine following the illegal and unjustified aggression of Russia and the consequences for Romania, as well as the opportunities provided by the new geopolitical context for the consolidation of the Strategic Partnership with the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet with a majority Romanian-speaking population). In this sense, he mentions ‘ensuring the irreversibility of the European roadmap’ of the neighboring state. The CSAT members will also discuss the National Plan for the Implementation of the Civil Pact in the field of Common Security and Defense Policy, as well as the Endowment Plan of the Romanian Army for the period 2025 – 2034. Also on Thursday, the Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, stated, in a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, that the Black Sea was no longer an area of cooperation, but a theater of war, as a result of the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation. According to the Defense Ministry, the Romanian minister reiterated the firm message of condemnation of the unjustified attacks and in serious contradiction with the norms of international law carried out by the Russian Federation against the civil port infrastructure of Ukraine on the Danube, in the proximity of the border with Romania. Rustem Umerov sent a message of gratitude regarding Romania’s decision to donate a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine. He also thanked for the support given to Ukraine since the first day of the war of aggression started by Russia, in terms of humanitarian, diplomatic, grain export support, as well as in relation to other important areas.
Electoral period in Romania
The electoral period for the presidential election in Romania began on Thursday, with the setting up of the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), according to the timetable approved by the Romanian Government. The BEC members were appointed by drawing of lots. Candidacies can be submitted until October 5 at the latest, and the election campaign will begin on October 25. The Romanian citizens with their domicile or residence abroad can vote by mail, and the deadline for submitting requests in this regard is September 24. The first round of the presidential election will take place on November 24, and the second on December 8. Also, Romanians will be called to the polls on December 1, on the National Day, when the parliamentary elections are scheduled.
National Theatre Troupes are meeting in Chișinău
16 national theatre troupes from Romania and the Republic of Moldova convened on Tuesday and will be together until September 22 in Chisinau for the 9th edition of the ‘Romanian National Theatres Convention’. In this period of time, theatre lovers in the capital of the Republic of Moldova will enjoy 46 cultural events such as outdoor and indoor performances, radio drama shows and premieres. The event will also include book launches and meetings with leading figures from the world of culture and theatre. The event in Chisinau is unfolding under the title “European Connections” and the patronage of the presidents of Romania and the Republic of Moldova, Klaus Iohannis and Maia Sandu, respectively. The event’s honorary guest is the “Ivan Franko Theatre” from Kyiv.
Romania’s Olympic and Paralympic Athletes awarded by president Klaus Iohannis
During a ceremony on Wednesday, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, gave awards to the athletes who represented Romania at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Taking the floor during the event Iohannis said quote, “it is essential that sport find its well-deserved place among the national priorities.” According to the president, the medals obtained by our athletes in Paris are “a symbol of the rejuvenation of the Romanian sports”.
We recall that at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, athletes from Romania obtained four gold, four silver and three bronze medals. A judoka from Romania obtained gold and a table tennis player, silver in the Paralympic Games.
In the Olympics, Romanian swimmer David Popovici won gold in the 200 meter freestyle race, and so did our double scull and eight crews. Silver came from the weight-lifting competition, the double scull and the pair races. Bronze medals were also claimed by swimmers and gymnasts from Romania.
(LS&bill)
