October 1, 2019 UPDATE
Opposition tables no-confidence motion against Dancila Cabinet
Newsroom, 01.10.2019, 20:00
MOTION A no-confidence motion against the Social Democrats minority government headed by Viorica Dancila was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday by the Opposition. The document, initiated by the Liberals, is backed by Save Romania Union, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Peoples Movement Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Pro Romania, and, according to the president of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, even by some Social Democrats. Entitled “In order to rebuild Romania, the Dancila Cabinet must be dismissed immediately! the motion was signed by 237 MPs, and it needs 233 votes in order to pass. The ruling party claims however that it will not be endorsed, because it fails to come up with a governing programme and a PM. Viorica Dancilas party lost the majority in Parliament after its junior partner, ALDE, left the ruling coalition in late August.
COMMISSIONER MEP Dan Nica is Romanias main nomination for European Commissioner, the president of the Social Democratic Party Viorica Dăncilă said on Tuesday at the end of the partys National Executive Committee meeting. She added that Gabriela Ciot, secretary of state with the Foreign Ministry, will be the back-up nomination, if the European Commission wants a woman for a commissioner. PM Dăncilă explained that Romania will do the same as Hungary in terms of the new nominations: should Hungary come up with 2 candidates, so will Romania. The decision comes after the European Parliaments committee on legal affairs (JURI) rejected Rovana Plumb as a Transport Commissioner designate, nominated by Romania, and the candidate nominated by Hungary for Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy.
EUROPALIA The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis and King Philippe of Belgium Tuesday visited in Brussels an exhibition on Brâncuşi, opening the Europalia International Art festival. This is the most important exhibition devoted to the Romanian sculptor in the past decades, and the highlight of this Festival, in which Romania is the guest of honour. Until February 2, 2020, Europalia comprises events held in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Britain. Apart from exhibitions, the events include theatre, dance and music performances, visual art and literature projects, and more than 100 film screenings.
OLYMPIAD Romanian students won 9 prizes in this years International French Language Olympiad, hosted by Chişinău, the Republic of Moldova. In the competition held between September 27 and 30, the Romanian team won 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes and 3 third prizes. The International French Language Olympiad brought together students from 6 La Francophonie member countries, Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Moldova and Romania. The competition is included in the official agenda of the Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)