December 21, 2020

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 21.12.2020, 13:55

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA -
Some 2,500 new infections with COVID-19 and 87 related deaths were reported
earlier today by the Group for Strategic Communication. Some 594 thousand
infections with COVID-19 have been reported in Romania since the start of the
pandemic, 84% of people having recovered. The death toll is close to 14,500.
1,255 people are currently in intensive care. The capital city and 8 counties
remain in the red zone in terms of the high infection rate. The highest
infection rate is reported in Ilfov County around Bucharest, 6.7 per thousand
inhabitants. The European Medicines Agency is today expected to approve the
anti-COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, already rolled out on
the markets in Great Britain, the United States, Canada and Israel. A first
symbolic batch of 10,000 dozes is expected to reach Romania on December 26.
Authorities say the first shots will be administered to medical staff working
in the 10 infectious disease hospitals, who are in the first line of defense
against the coronavirus.

MUTATION
– The German Presidency of the Council of the European Union has today summoned
representatives of Member States to an emergency meeting to answer the threat
posed by the latest mutation to the SARS-CoV-2 virus discovered in the United
Kingdom. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also presiding a meeting of
the National Emergency Committee to discuss a possible lockdown as a result as
of a new strain of the virus now spreading across the country. The mutated
virus has also been identified in other EU states as well as in other parts of
the world. Numerous countries, including Romania, have temporarily suspended
air travel connections with the UK.

PARLIAMENT
– The two chambers of the Romanian Parliament will convene today for the first
time after the parliamentary election. Before the new legislative session
officially starts, the two chambers have to elect their leading structures and
the members of specialized committees, which will be interviewing the
candidates eying positions in the new Cabinet. 460 MPs representing the
Social-Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union -
PLUS Alliance, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians and the Democratic Union
of Ethnic Hungarians will officially take office in the Senate and the Chamber
of Deputies today. Also today the
National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union – PLUS Alliance and the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians are expected to sign an agreement
underlying the new center-right governing coalition. The three parties decided
to support a Cabinet led by the current Finance Minister, Liberal Florin Cîţu.
The National Liberal Party will allegedly control nine ministries, six
ministries have been distributed to the Save Romania Union – PLUS Alliance and
three to the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. As regards the leadership
of the two chambers of Parliament, the Save Romania Union – PLUS Alliance will
designate the new Senate Speaker while the Liberals will be appointing the
Speaker in the Chamber of Deputies. The Social-Democratic Party grabbed the
highest number of votes in the December 6 parliamentary election, but couldn’t
build a majority in Parliament. Social-Democrat president Marcel Ciolacu told
his fellow MPs they need to thoroughly prepare for the opposition.

1989
– 31 years ago, the communist revolution started in Timişoara, western Romania,
extended to Bucharest and other big cities, sparking a nation-wide movement
that led to the demise of the communist regime led by dictator Nicolae
Ceauşescu. A day before, Timişoara had become the first city free of communism.
On December 21, Ceauşescu called a large rally, meant to condemn the events in
Timişoara and muster popular support for the party and state leadership. Yet
the reaction of the industrial workers in the capital-city was unexpected.
Târgu Mureş, in the center, became the third city in Romania where people rose
against the communist regime. Dozens of people were killed on this day all over
the country and hundreds were injured. Over a thousand people were arrested at
the time.

BREXIT
– The European Union and Great Britain are today resuming talks for a new trade
agreement, after the initial deadline set by the European Parliament passed
last night. Parliament needs time to analyze the agreement. Last night’s round
of negotiations bore no results, as the EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel
Barnier, posted on Twitter We respect the sovereignty of the UK. And we expect
the same. Significant divergences still remain over fishing rights and fair
competition rules. The trade deal comprises all sectors of cooperation between
the EU and the UK. The absence of consensus in any of the sectors would thus
render an agreement impossible. (V. Palcu)