November 2, 2015 UPDATE

For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.

Newsroom, 02.11.2015, 12:15

COLECTIV NIGHTCLUB FIRE — Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Monday awarded the National Order of Merit in the rank of Knight to blogger Claudiu Petre and musician Adrian Rugina, who gave their lives trying to save several people from the deadly fire on Friday night in Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest. Meanwhile the death toll has reached 31 dead, with 135 people still severely injured. According to Health Minister Nicolae Banicioiu, a patient died on Monday, while of the 135 injured, 90 are in critical or severe condition. The Romanian official added the death toll might rise in the coming days. 10 of the patients have been released from hospital care. Monday was the third day of national mourning in Romania. The tragedy prompted an impressive mobilisation of the Romanian doctors, helped by fellow physicians from Israel and France, and the number of blood donors has tripled. In Bucharest, Senators and Deputies held a moment of silence in the memory of the victims of the deadly fire. Hundreds of people gathered on Monday in front of the nightclub to bring floral tributes and light candles. The Prosecutor’s Office and the Police have opened a criminal investigation. Two of the club’s owners on Monday were brought in by prosecutors, suspected of manslaughter and involuntary bodily harm. Several foreign embassies in Bucharest flew the Romanian flag at half mast. Numerous countries have expressed condolences for the victims of the tragedy, while the Foreign Ministry has announced a book of condolences will be opened in each of Romania’s diplomatic missions abroad.

INVESTIGATION — Former Minister of Regional Development and Tourism Elena Udrea is being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate in a new corruption case regarding a 3-million-euro loan contracted by the Romanian Development Bank (BRD). According to a press release, Udrea is suspected of accessory to abuse of office. In the same case Popa Sorin Mihai, a former deputy director of the bank at the time, is being investigated for obtaining undue benefits and abuse of office. This is the fourth criminal investigation involving Elena Udrea, after the Microsoft affair, the Bute Boxing Gala and the Hidroelectrica scandal. In the latter Udrea was indicted on Friday. A close associate of former president Traian Basescu, gaining in influence during his two terms in office, Udrea is one of the most influential politicians investigated for corruption.

NATIONAL BANK — The currency reserves of the National Bank of Romania went up in October by 2.8 billion euros, to 31,5 billion, reads a National Bank press release. The increase is mostly due to 2.2 billion euros in revenues the Finance Ministry obtained after the National Bank issued eurobonds last month. Romania’s gold reserve is close to the 104 tons mark, totalling 3.5 billion euros.

STATISTIC — The number of foreign tourists arriving in Romania grew by nearly 20% in the first 9 months of the year, according to the National Statistics Institute. Arrivals in September 2015 were 18.5% higher than in the same months of the previous year. However, in 2014 for example, the money spent by foreign tourists across Romania, around 1.1 billion euros, accounts for less than the total incomes of Disneyland Paris — 1.3 billion euros, the INS explains. According to the World Tourism Organisation, Romania has a share of 0.3% in world tourism in terms of the number of tourists and 0.4% in terms of revenues from tourism. In other news, as of Monday Romania is taking part in World Travel Market 2015 (WTM). This is the second-largest travel fair in the world, bringing together over 180 countries and more than 50,000 experts. Romania has a 308 sq.m. pavilion at this fair.

VISIT — Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday is receiving his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, who is on an official visit to Bucharest. The Polish President will also meet with Prime Minister Victor Ponta. On Wednesday, Andrzej Duda will co-chair, alongside Klaus Iohannis, the top-level meeting of states in Central and Eastern Europe, attended by NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow. Taking part will also be the presidents of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary and the Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies.

MOLDOVA — The Liberal-Democrats in the Republic of Moldova are yet to decide whether they will take part in the negotiations with the Democratic Party and the Liberal Party to form a new ruling coalition. Sworn in less than 3 months ago, the Cabinet headed by the Liberal Democratic Party leader Valeriu Streleţ was brought down on Thursday through a no-confidence motion tabled by the Socialists and the pro-Russian Communists, but also backed by the Democrats. On Friday, President Nicolae Timofti appointed the Liberal deputy-PM Gheorghe Brega as interim prime minister. He said the priority for the Republic of Moldova is to form a new pro-European government as soon as possible.

PLANE CRASH – Some of the victims of the Egypt plane crash were repatriated to Russia on Monday. The Airbus A 321 operated by the Russian airline Metrojet, with 224 people on board, crashed on Saturday shortly after taking off, in the Sinai region in Egypt. It was carrying Russian tourists who had spent their holidays in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh back to Sankt Petersburg. All the passengers and crew died. The investigation, in which Russian experts are also taking part, is difficult, because the remains of the aircraft are scattered on a 20-km area. The two black boxes have been recovered and will be analysed in Moscow. This is the worst crash in the history of Russian aviation. A similar accident took place in 1985, when an Aeroflot plane went down in Uzbekistan, killing 200 people.