February 14, 2017
Senate repeals controversial gov't decree, protests continue in Romania
Newsroom, 14.02.2017, 14:10
PARLIAMENT – In a plenary meeting today the Senate of Romania unanimously endorsed an emergency government decree that repeals the controversial amendments of the criminal codes, which generated the current political crisis in Bucharest. The draft is now sent to the Chamber of Deputies. The Government building was once again picketed last night by over 1,500 protesters. For two weeks, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in the country and abroad have been demanding the resignation of the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania. They accuse the Cabinet of amending the criminal codes in order to exempt influential politicians and local and central administration officers from criminal liability. Concurrently, several hundreds of supporters of the Government request the resignation of President Klaus Iohannis, who they claimed has stepped out of his role as a mediator by joining in the anti-government protests. A referendum regarding the fight against corruption has been initiated by the President, and was approved on Monday by the Senate.
STATE BUDGET – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has voiced concern today, after discussing in Bucharest with PM Sorin Grindeanu and the Finance Minister, Viorel Ştefan, about the state budget bill and the social security budget bill, sent to the President for promulgation. The head of state sees the 2017 state budget as problematic, because the budget deficit risks exceeding 3%. In his opinion, the budget bill relies on overestimated revenues and very high expenditure. Yesterday the European Commission estimated that this year Romanias budget deficit would account for 3.6 of the GDP, which might lead to the initiation of the excessive deficit procedure. On the other hand, the economic growth forecast for Romania was improved to 4.4%, which is nonetheless below the 5.2% rate estimated by the Government.
DEFENCE – Romania will continue to make a contribution to ensuring European and Euro-Atlantic security, in line with its commitments, and proof in this respect are both the allocation of 2% of the GDP to defence, and the American military presence in the country. The statement was made by the Foreign Minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, after the arrival of 500 American troops who will be stationed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base in south-eastern Romania for 9 months. The American military also bring the equipment required in order for them to take part, jointly with Romanian troops, in the military exercises planned for this year. The deployment of American troops is intended to strengthen NATOs eastern flank.
CORRUPTION – The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest has today postponed for March 28 the trial of the case in which the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and head of the ruling Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, is charged with instigation of abuse of office. According to the National Anti-corruption Directorate, Dragnea ordered the fictitious employment of two members of his party with the Directorate General for Social Assistance and Child Protection in Teleorman County in the south. The two were paid from public funds although they were actually working for the Social Democratic Party alone. Last year Dragnea received a suspended two-year prison sentence, for having attempted in 2012 to rig a referendum to dismiss then-president Traian Băsescu.
RESIGNATION – The US President Donald Trumps national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned last night over a scandal concerning his telephone contacts with the Russian Ambassador to the USA prior to Trumps inauguration. According to France Presse, in late December, as the Barack Obama administration was ordering sanctions against Russia for its presumed interference with the US elections, Michael Flynn was assuring the Russian Ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, that president-elect Donald Trump would be a lot less strict in this respect. Îin his resignation letter, Michael Flynn admits to having “inadvertently briefed vice-president elect Mike Pence and others with incomplete information regarding his phone calls with the Russian diplomat.
TENNIS – Romanias womens tennis team will play against Great Britain at home on April 22 and 23, in the playoffs for Fed Cup World Group II. The drawing was held in London on Tuesday. Last weekend Romania was defeated in Bucharest by Belgium, 3-1, in the first round of World Group II. The national team now has to play to keep its spot in the second group. Fed Cup is the most important international team competition in women’s tennis.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
