September 12, 2017

The incumbent economy minister, Mihai Fifor, has been nominated by the ruling coalition to take over the defence portfolio/ The Chamber of Deputies is debating a simple motion tabled by the opposition against justice minister Tudorel Toader

Bogdan Matei, 12.09.2017, 14:06

DEFENCE PORTFOLIO – The incumbent economy minister, Mihai Fifor, has been nominated by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats to take over the defence portfolio. He is to be replaced at the economy ministry by the Social Democrat MP Gheorghe Şimon. The former defence minister, Adrian Ţuţuianu, resigned a week ago, after PM Mihai Tudose reproached him for improper communication relative to the payment of salaries and allowances of troops and civilians working in the Army. The Defence Ministry had announced that the employees would receive this month only their allowances and salaries, and not their meals allowances, and without paying to the state budget the social security contributions and the income taxes. The announcement made by the defence ministry was later denied by both the prime minister and the finance minister, who said there were no problems with the payment of salaries. The president of the National Liberal Party, in opposition, Ludovic Orban, has accused the Government of being unwilling to comply with the commitment it has made to allot 2% of the GDP for the army endowment program. The care-taking defence minister is deputy prime minister Marcel Ciolacu.

MOTION – The Chamber of Deputies is today debating the simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union (both in opposition), against justice minister Tudorel Toader. The signatories say the amendments to the justice laws, initiated by Toader, are an attempt to cancel the progress made in the field. The vote on the motion is due on Wednesday, in a plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies. Vehemently criticised by civil society and the media, Toaders draft stipulated, among others, that the countrys president will no longer nominate the chief prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism, provides for subordinating the judicial inspection unit to the justice ministry and for increasing the number of years necessary to get promoted as a magistrate. At the start of the year, after the governments attempt to change the criminal codes by an emergency ordinance, hundreds of thousands of Romanians took to the streets in Bucharest, across the country and abroad. They accused the power of trying to exonerate influential people in politics and administration from criminal liability for acts of corruption.

US-ROMANIAN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP – The Romanian Senate is today adopting a political declaration to mark 20 years since Romania signed the Strategic Partnership with the US. Launched on July 11, 1997, on the occasion of the visit paid to Bucharest by the then US president Bill Clinton, at the invitation of his Romanian counterpart Emil Constantinescu, the Partnership made possible the establishment of privileged relations between the two countries and deepened cooperation once Romania joined NATO in 2004. Romania is hosting military bases and elements of the US anti-missile shield, and its troops have fought, alongside the Americans, in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Romanian foreign ministry has recently issued a communiqué, expressing its confidence that the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the USA will continue to develop and expand, capitalising on all opportunities and the potential of an outstanding bilateral relation.

INTL CONFERENCE OF PUBLIC RADIO SERVICES – The mountain resort of Sinaia, in southern Romania is currently hosting the annual meeting of public radio services, which continues the Media 2020 meeting, organised by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. For two days, radio and tv experts from numerous countries are sharing their experiences and ideas on the best way in which they can face challenges specific to media institutions. The participants will also talk about the values that should be promoted by public media services, against the backdrop of a fast paced development of social media services.

ENESCU FESTIVAL – The prestigious “George Enescu International Music Festival continues in Bucharest. Today, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London will give a concert for the second evening in a row. The program includes Enescus Romanian Rhapsody and pieces by Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy. The soloist of the evening is the world-famous pianist Martha Argerich, and the orchestra will perform under the baton of the outstanding conductor Charles Dutoit. Over 3,000 of the best musicians in the world will perform in Bucharest and seven other cities across the country until September 24. Inaugurated in 1958, interrupted by the communist regime in 1971 and resumed after the fall of communism, the Enescu Festival is held every other year.