September 13, 2019 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 13.09.2019, 19:44

ELECTION – The Permanent Election Authority has
drawn up and launched for public debate a draft of the guide setting the rules
for the financing of the presidential election campaign. In another
development, on Thursday, the Romanian government approved a draft order tabled
by the Permanent Election Authority under which the registration term for the
Romanian citizens living abroad as voters has been extended until Sunday,
September 15th. Also, the diplomatic missions have until October 19 to propose to
the Foreign Ministry the opening of new polling stations abroad. The first
round of the presidential elections in Romania will be held on November 10 and the
second one on November 24.

MOLDOVA – Following the change of
government in June 2019, the Republic of Moldova has moved resolutely
forward with the implementation of key reforms to address the deterioration of
democratic standards and the rule of law, in order to allow citizens to fully
benefit from the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, the European Commission said
in the Association Implementation Report published on
Thursday. Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement
Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, has said that in July 2019 the Commission already
resumed budget support payments and also signed with the Government financing
agreements on sustainable local development and rule of law that will allow for
the implementation of programmes bringing tangible results to the people of
Moldova. We are ready to further step up our financial support and advice in
response to the Government’s robust reform agenda, Commissioner Hahn has also
said.

STRIKE – The city of Paris was paralyzed
on Friday by a strike of the transport network (RATP) in protest
over plans to reform the pension system. People have been advised to keep
their travel to a minimum. The strike is the first in a series of actions
planned in protest over the proposed reform of France’s pension
system. The reforms would simplify the current system, with a
standardized pension regime rather than the current 42 different ones.
Transport workers, who have certain exemptions for early retirement, would be
particularly affected by the changes. The pension regime specific to RATP
workers allows train drivers and other staff that work underground to retire at
52, a decade earlier than the normal legal retirement age for a full public
pension.

BREXIT – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday is meeting with
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Luxembourg to discuss
Brexit. Johnson expressed his cautious optimism regarding a potential deal
with the EU, saying enough progress has been reported in negotiations with
Brussels. Boris Johnson is trying to renegotiate the Brexit deal struck by his
predecessor before Britain’s scheduled withdrawal from the community bloc on
October 31. On Thursday, European
Parliament President David Sassoli said Britain has presented no new
proposition on Brexit, but the EU is ready to delay the withdrawal again
provided London has a good reason. The European Parliament must vote any
agreement between the EU and Britain in order to take effect. Boris Johnson said
his country will leave the EU with or without an agreement on October 31.

ENESCU FESTIVAL – The Radio Hall in Bucharest on
Friday evening venued a concert from the 21st Century Music Series of the
George Enescu Festival. The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by
Peter Rundel climbed on stage. Also on Friday at the Romanian Athenaeum, the
audience listened to Kremerata Baltica orchestra, made up of Latvian,
Lithuanian and Estonian musicians, under the baton of violinist Gidon Kremer.
The George Enescu International Festival is taking place between the August 31 and
September 22, bringing together more than 2,500 of the world’s greatest
musicians in 84 different concerts and recitals. Events as part of the festival
are held in the capital Bucharest and other cities across Romania, as well as
in Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the Republic of Moldova.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Mihaela
Buzarnescu on Friday advanced to the semifinals of the WTA tournament in
Hiroshima, Japan, totaling 250,000 dollars in prize money. In the quarterfinals
Buzarnescu ousted Alison van Uytvanck of Belgium, 6-4, 7-5. She will next play
Nao Hibino of Japan. This is the best result for Buzarnescu this year, who is
currently 135th ranked in WTA standings.

(Translated by V.
Palcu)