June 21, 2018 UPDATE 18:41

The speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea was sentenced to 3 and a half years in prison for instigation to abuse of office by the High Court of Cassation and Justice

Newsroom, 21.06.2018, 13:49

Sentence – The speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea was sentenced to 3 and a half years in prison for instigation to abuse of office by the High Court of Cassation and Justice in a case related to the fictitious employment of two persons with the Teleorman Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection. In the same case he was acquitted for intelectual forgery. The suspension of the sentence he had previously received in the Referendum case was cancelled. The two sentences were merged resulting a total sentence of 3 and a half years imprisonment. The decision is not definitive and can be appealed in court.

PROTESTS — Thousands of Romanians took to the streets of the capital Bucharest and several other cities across the country in protest at the modification, in Parliament, by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), of the justice laws and also of the Criminal Procedure Code, two days before. Incidents between protesters and security forces were reported in Bucharest, and several participants in the rallies were taken to the police station. Protesters chanted slogans against the Government, asking for their resignation and for early elections. The National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Save Romania Union (USR), in the opposition, say that some of the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code endanger the act of justice, so they will appeal the bill in Court. The High Court of Cassation and Judice has taken a similar decision. According to the ruling coalition, the amendments are aimed at transposing into national legislation the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the European directives.

VISIT – Romania provides economic stability and ensures an attractive environment for investment, Romanian deputy PM Ana Birchall has said at a meeting with the US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, on Wednesday. The Romanian official is paying a working visit to the US that ends on June 29th. The agenda of talks included the consolidation of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, America’s support for Romania’s accession to the OECD and the Three Sees Initiative Summit to be held in Bucharest in September. Ana Birchall is accompanied in the US by a government delegation that participates, alongside representatives of the Romanian business environment, in the SelectUSA Investment Summit to be held in Washington DC between June 20 and 22. The Romanian official will also attend the first part of the works of the World Gas Conference due between June 25 and 29 in Washington DC.

CHISINAU — The issue of the invalidation of the elections in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova, is today on the agenda of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Romanian MEP Cristian Preda, coordinator of the European People’s Party Group in this Committee, told Radio Free Europe. According to Preda, the decision of a court in Chisinau to invalidate the election victory of a pro-European candidate to the post of mayor of Chisinau clearly shows the political influence over justice. The Chisinau Court ruled Tuesday that Andrei Nastase was not the winner of the June 3 vote, but did not say why. On Wednesday, Nastase appealed the ruling, claiming it was “arbitrary” and politically motivated. Analysts say Nastase may have broken election rules by addressing voters after the end of the permitted campaigning period. The election was called after Dorin Chirtoaca, who had been mayor of Chisinau for the past 10 years, stepped down after being probed for influence trafficking in a city parking contract.

FOOTBALL — The World Cup in Russia continues with matches pitting France against Peru and Denmark against Australia in Group C, and also Argentina against Croatia as part of Group D. On Wednesday, in Group B, Portugal defeated Marroco, 1-nil, and Spain beat Iran, also 1-nil. In Group A, Uruguay qualified to the round of sixteen, alongside Russia, who beat Saudi Arabia 1-nil. Romania is not present at the current edition of the World Cup. (Translated by Elena Enache)