November 20, 2016 UPDATE
Gov't posted Guidelines for Romanian voters living abroad; Gaudeamus Fair came to an end on Sunday
Newsroom, 20.11.2016, 19:15
ELECTIONS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has made public its “Guidelines for Romanian voters abroad, intended for the Romanian citizens who live abroad and want to cast their ballots in the December 11 parliamentary election. The guidelines include information on the various categories of eligible voters, the voting process, the opening hours of polling stations, the documents required in order to be able to vote and instructions regarding the vote by mail procedure. The Romanian citizens in the diaspora who have not chosen to vote by mail will be able to choose from among the 417 polling stations abroad. The largest number of polling stations set up abroad are in Italy (70), and Spain (50), while another 35 will be opened in the Republic of Moldova. There are 111 polling stations more than in the parliamentary elections of 2012 and 123 more than in the presidential election of 2014. Two years ago, thousands of Romanians living abroad were unable to vote because of the flawed organisation of the presidential election.
BOOK FAIR – The Goncourt – Romanian Student Choice Award went this year to the novel “Láutre quon adorait by the French author Catherine Cusset. The novel was chosen by 7 juries made up by Francophone students from 7 Romanian cities, and the announcement came as part of the Gaudeamus International Book and Education Fair organised in Bucharest by Radio Romania. The book will be translated into Romanian, and Catherine Cusset will be invited to give addresses in Romania. The Gaudeamus Book Fair came to a close on Sunday, with the award of this 23rd editions trophies. Hundreds of publishers took part in the fair, which comprised more than 850 events, from meetings with writers, book launches and debates, to performances and workshops. This years guest of honour was China, and next year the USA will be the special guest of the Gaudeamus Fair.
REMEMBRANCE DAY – Several events were organised in Romania today to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, commemorated on the third Sunday of November every year, at the initiative of the UN. Last year nearly 1,900 people died and over 9,000 others were severely injured in road traffic accidents, the Romanian Police has reported. According to statistics, 1 in 5 car crashes takes place around the capital city Bucharest, with Covasna County reporting the smallest number of accidents. Most incidents involve a vehicle and a pedestrian, and 8 out of 10 have been reported in dry weather. The latest European report indicates that Romania ranks second in the EU, after Latvia, in terms of the number of deaths in road traffic accidents.
YIDDISH FESTIVAL – The TES FEST kicked off in Bucharest on Sunday, and is scheduled to come to a close next Sunday. The event is intended to showcase and promote the Yiddish culture. Taking part in the festival are professional theatre companies and klezmer bands from Romania, the USA, Israel, France and Poland. Book launches and workshops will also be organised as part of the event. This first edition of TES FEST is organised by the Jewish State Theatre in Bucharest, which celebrates 140 years since the establishment of the first professional Yiddish theatre in the world, in the north-eastern Romanian city of Iaşi, in 1876, by writer and artist Avram Goldfaden. According to the organisers, the festival targets the general public of all ages, and aims to contribute to the understanding and acceptance of different cultures.
GERMANY – The Conservative Angela Merkel Sunday announced her fellow Christian-Democratic Union members that she intended to run for a new term in office as head of the party, and, in the autumn of 2017, for a fourth term as Chancellor of Germany, news agencies report. If she wins, Angela Merkel, 62, in office for 11 years, would break the record held by the post-war Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, in power for 14 years, and would equal her political mentor, Helmut Kohl – 16 years. According to an opinion poll made public on Sunday, 55% of the Germans want Angela Merkel to stay as Chancellor. Supporters see Merkel as a stabilising element in Europe, amid the uncertainties triggered by the UK vote to leave the Union and Donald Trumps winning the presidential election in the USA.
VATICAN – Pope Francis Sunday concluded the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, and in the presence of over 100,000 believers in Vatican he closed the Holy Door of St Peters Basilica opened at the beginning of the event one year ago. The Jubilee of Mercy or the Holy Year, one of the most important events initiated by Pope Francis, is an initiative intended to reflect the need for the Catholic Church to be more open. According to the Vaticans estimates, more than 20 million people travelled to Rome during the Jubilee year.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
