December 9, 2016
Romanians expected to the polls on December 11/ OSCE ministerial meeting/ 25 years of Maastricht treaty
Newsroom, 09.12.2016, 12:00
ROMANIA ELECTIONS — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday reiterated his appeal to Romanians to go to the polls on Sunday to vote in the parliamentary elections. He said that absenteeism was never a solution. Meanwhile the candidates running in the elections are preparing for the end of the election campaign. Under the Romanian law, the campaign comes to an end on Saturday, December 10, at 7 p.m. By that date and time the candidates will be able to present their political programs and electoral offers by means of posters and during rallies and meetings with the citizens. As regards the broadcasting of electoral programs on radio and TV, it came to an end on Friday. Over 6,500 people are running for the 466 seats in the Romanian Parliament, 136 senators and 330 deputies.
OSCE — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazăr Comănescu, expressed Bucharest’s firm support for the role assumed by the OSCE, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in the context of the Ukrainian crisis and of the efforts to solve prolonged conflicts. Minister Comănescu is participating in Hamburg, Germany, in the 23rd OSCE ministerial meeting where he pleaded for the need to observe the fundamental principles underlying European security as well as the commitments made by the OSCE member states. On the sidelines of the meeting, Comănescu met with his Moldovan counterpart, Andrei Galbur, whom he assured of Romania’s support for Chisinau’s efforts to make the reform and join the European Union.
MAASTRICHT — Today it is 25 years since the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, which set the basis for the European Union. The moment is marked in the Dutch city of Maastricht by a special conference, which is being attended by the presidents of the European Commission and the European Parliament Jean Claude Juncker and Martin Schultz respectively, as well as by the former president of the European Council Herman van Rompuy. On December 9, 1991, the heads of state and government of the 12 countries that made up the then community bloc, among whom the French Francois Mitterrand and the German Helmuth Kohl, agreed with turning the European Economic Community into the European Union. The agreement was signed in 1992 and came into force one year later.
FOOTBALL — Romania’s football champions, Astra Giurgiu, ended in a goalless draw the match held on Thursday evening on home ground against the Italian eleven AS Rome, in their last match of the Europa League groups and have thus qualified for the first time to the round of 32 of the Europa League finals. With 8 points accumulated Astra ended on 2nd place in the group after the Italians. In the same competition, Romania’s vice-champions Steaua Bucharest was defeated 1-2 in an away match against the Spanish team Villareal. With only 6 points the Steaua Bucharest footballers ended on last place of the group and had to leave the competition.
HANDBALL- Romania’s national women’s team is taking on, this evening, the team of Croatia in their last match in the preliminary groups of the European Championship hosted by Sweden. So far Romania has played two matches. They lost 21 – 23 to Norway, European champions and world defending champions, and defeated Russia, Olympic champion, 22-17. The three best-ranked teams will qualify to the main groups. (translation by L. Simion)
