April 25, 2016

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

România Internațional, 25.04.2016, 12:00

RESIGNATION – Romanian Minister for European Funds Carmen Aura Raducu today tendered her resignation upon the request of Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos. The Prime Minister expressed his dissatisfaction with the short-term objectives of her mandate. Dacian Ciolos accepted her resignation, arguing that he would soon submit a nomination for the Ministry of European Funds to President Klaus Iohannis. This is the second minister, after Labour Minister Ana Costea, to step down in the last two weeks. Aura Raducu specialises in European and international financing projects of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Last year she was project manager with the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy at the European Commission.

NATO – Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu today met with NATO Secretary General Alexander Vershbow, to discuss the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw, in July. The Romanian Minister called for an increased military presence on NATOs eastern flank, against the backdrop of the current security challenges. Additionally, Minister Comanescu underlined that consolidating trans-Atlantic relations and the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU are key objectives for Romania. In turn, Alexander Vershbow expressed his gratitude for Romanias contribution to theatres of operations. The NATO official will also meet with president Klaus Iohannis and Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc. Vershbow will also attend Tuesdays meeting of the director of policies with NATO Defence Ministers.

TALKS – The Labour Ministry is today starting talks with its social partners regarding a new emergency ordinance aimed at correcting certain inequities in the public salary sector. The ordinance is expected to be drafted within three weeks. Finance Minister Anca Dragu told Radio Romania that the Government wants to increase only the low salaries in the public administration, due to limited budget resources. Anca Dragu also said that, according to the data of her Ministry, budget revenues in the first half of the year exceeded the original forecast.

ELECTIONS IN ROMANIA – Political parties, election alliances and organisations of citizens belonging to national minorities, as well as independent candidates must file their candidacies for the local elections scheduled to take place on June 5 by tomorrow, April 26. The candidacies will be declared final on May 4. The election campaign will start on May 6 and will end on June 4, one day before the elections.

ELECTIONS IN EUROPE – The far-right Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer won Sundays first round of the presidential vote in Austria, after grabbing some 36% of the vote. In the final round, Hofer will face the independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen or Irmgard Griss, each polling approximately 20%. According to the BBC, this is the first time since the Second World War that none of the two leading parties, the Conservative Party and the Social-Democratic Party, will be represented in the final presidential ballot. In another development, the pro-Western Progressive Party won some 50% of the early parliamentary elections held on Sunday in Serbia, according to the first exit polls. Ranking 2nd were the Socialists, who grabbed less than 12% of the vote, while the ultra-nationalist Radical Party came in third with 8% of the vote. The Radicals will thus return to Parliament after a four-year break.

RALLY – Thousands of people on Sunday attended a new anti-Government rally in the Moldovan capital city Chisinau. Protesters want Prime Minister Pavel Filip to step down, as well as the organisation of a referendum for the amendment of the Constitution. Protesters also want snap elections to be held jointly with the presidential elections. Attending the rally were several pro-European opposition factions, with the exception of the pro-Russian parties.

MEETING – US President Barack Obama is today attending a meeting in Hanover jointly with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French president Francois Hollande and the Prime Ministers of Italy and Great Britain, Matteo Renzi and David Cameron. The agenda for talks focuses, among others, on the migration crisis, the fight against terrorism, the developments in Libya and Syria, and the Islamic State terrorist threat. The five Western leaders will also discuss relation between the United States and its main European allies. The purpose of Obamas visit to Germany is to promote the upcoming free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union.

HOLY WEEK – Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians have entered Holy Week, the last week preceding Easter and commemorating the Passions of the Christ. Christians are attending special masses in the evenings called vigils, marking the last moments in the life of Jesus before being crucified. The most important of these are the Vigil of the 12 Gospels on Maundy Thursday and the Lamentation of the Christ on Good Friday. During Holy Week, Christians are urged to be forgiving and make peace with everyone, in preparation for Easter Sunday.

TENNIS – The doubles pair made up of Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau of Romania won Mondays doubles final against Chris Guccione of Australia and Andre Sa of Brazil, 2-nil, as part of the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy, totalling 460 thousand euros in prize money. The game was interrupted last night due to the heavy rain, with Mergea and Tecau having a 1-nil set advantage, and was resumed today. Also today, in the singles final, Fernando Verdasco will play Lucas Pouille of France. This is the last edition of the tournament, founded in 1993.

(Translated by V. Palcu)