June 19, 2020

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Newsroom, 19.06.2020, 13:55

CONFERENCE
Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is today
attending the European Council proceedings in video-conference format. According
to the presidential administration in Bucharest, high on the agenda are the
revised 2021-2027 multi-annual financial framework that has been recently
proposed by the European Commission and Next Generation EU, an economic
recovery plan adjusted to the new conditions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Romanian president is expected to refer to the fact that the union’s
multi-annual budget must be substantial, balanced and able to respond to the
concerns of the member countries. At the same time Iohannis is expected to
mention the fact that all the member states need financial assistance in the
process of economic recovery although in various degrees as the national
instruments and mechanisms prove to be inefficient. In the wake of the
conference the European Council president Charles Michel is expected to present
the revised version of the future budget and the economic recovery plan after
negotiations. Also high on the conference agenda is the negotiation process of
the relations between the European Union and Great Britain after Brexit. The
progress obtained so far in the negotiation process is limited

COVID-19 Another 11 people have been killed by the novel
coronavirus in the past 24 hours in Romania taking the death toll to 1,484. 320
new Covid infections were announced by the authorities on Friday, which brings the
total number of cases up to 23,400. 16,500 patients have been cured and left
hospitals. 184 people are in intensive
care, almost 1,400 in quarantine and 86 thousand people are being monitored at
home. 3,511 Romanian nationals have been infected with the novel coronavirus
abroad and 115 have died. Several outbreaks have recently been registered in
areas inhabited by Romanians in Berlin, prompting the authorities to close down
ten schools and test the population.

NATO The Multinational Division South-East Command will
contribute to the deterring and defence capabilities of NATO’s eastern flank,
Romania’s Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca has said. His statement came after
Parliament in Bucharest on Thursday endorsed the setting up of this command in
Sibiu, central Romania. According to Ciuca, Romania’s initiative has been
appreciated by NATO partners and accepted by the allies thus highlighting the
strategic importance of the Black Sea for the security of the Euro-Atlantic
area and the need for increasing allied military presence in the region. The
new military body will have the statute of international military command
subordinated to an allied command outside the national structure of command and
control.

NOTIFICATION The High Court of
Cassation and Justice in Bucharest and the Ombudsman have notified the
Constitutional Court about a law on the progressive taxation up to 85% of all
special pensions in Romania, a law endorsed by Parliament. The court has criticized
several aspects such as the fact that its rulings concerning this aspect have
been repeatedly ignored, the Supreme Council of Magistrates has not been
consulted and several principles haven’t been observed, such as that of proper
and equitable taxation and the independence of judges. There are multiple
reasons of unconstitutionality, the Ombudsman has also pointed out adding that
under the law the beneficiaries of these special pensions are being
discriminated against. We recall that on May 6th Romania’s
Constitutional Court turned down a law on cancelling these special pensions
upon two notifications by the High Court and the Ombudsman.

(translated by bill)