June 11, 2018

A Venice Commission delegation is in Romania to review changes to the justice laws

Newsroom, 11.06.2018, 12:50

VENICE COMMISSION – A Venice Commission delegation is in Romania on a 2-day visit focusing on the changes to the justice laws. The delegation will have meetings with President Klaus Iohannis, with Parliament members, and officials from the Justice Ministry, High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Constitutional Court, the Prosecutor Generals Office, the National Anti-corruption Directorate, the Higher Council of Magistracy, judge and prosecutor associations and civil society organisations. Both President Iohannis, and the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have requested the opinion of this body, which comprises independent experts in constitutional law, with respect to the Romanian laws on the organisation of courts, the operation of the Higher Council of Magistrates and the status of judges and prosecutors. The requests came after the right-wing opposition, the media and civil society claimed that these laws are used by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in order to stop the fight against corruption and get control over magistrates.

TRADE – Romanias exports totaled over 22 billion Euros in January – April 2018, while imports reached nearly 26 billion euros, according to data made public today by the National Statistics Institute. The trade deficit reached 3.7 billion euros in the first 4 months of the year, as against 3.3 billion euros last year. According to the Institute, in the first 4 months most of the imports and exports were accounted for by vehicles and transport equipment and other manufactured products.

EXERCISE – A large-scale military exercise involving more than 800 Romanian and British troops is taking place until June 22 in the counties Braşov (in central Romania) and Prahova (in the south). The troops are training as part of Sarmis 18, which is coordinated by the Brasov-based 2nd Mountain Troops Brigade. Also taking part are members of Battalion 47 Communications and IT and 1st Battalion, The Rifles from the UK. The exercises are designed to simulate military interventions in case of hybrid threats.

THEATRE – In Sibiu (central Romania), the 25th International Theatre Festival continues. This is the largest performing arts event in Romania and one of the most important in Europe. Today, on the 4th day of the festival, over 40 events will take place, including the opening of the performance exchange, a structure launched 22 years ago in Romania, which brings together companies and festival directors from around the world. Thousands of artists from over 70 countries are performing every day both in theatre halls and in unconventional venues.

SUMMIT – The North-Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and US President Donald Trump are in Singapore, where they will hold a historic meeting tomorrow morning. The summit is the first one between a Kim dynasty member and a US president in office. The talks, whose outcome is uncertain, will focus on the achievement of a special agreement regarding, above all, a full, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea in exchange for relaxing international economic and diplomatic sanctions. President Donald Trump has today voiced optimism about the eagerly awaited meeting, which was unimaginable just months ago, when Trump and the Pyongyang leader were exchanging harsh lines that made the world fear the worst.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, returns to Bucharest today, when she is to present her first Grand Slam trophy, won in Roland Garros on Saturday, to the Romanian public. We remind you that Halep defeated the American Sloane Stephens in the final.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)