February 16, 2023

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 16.02.2023, 13:55

QUAKE – The first Romanian rescuers
deployed to Turkey in the wake of the February 6 quake have returned yesterday
with two Spartain aircraft. The team managed to save 4 Turkish citizens trapped
beneath debris, thus displaying compassion and restoring hope to those in
despair, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said. In turn, Interior Minister Lucian
Bode said the actions of Romanian rescuers confirm that Romania can provide
support to every European citizen in critical need of help. 59 Romanian
rescuers are still deployed to Turkey in support of local authorities. Romania
also continues to send humanitarian aid to Turkey and Syria addressing the
millions of people affected by the quake. The death toll continues to rise and
has exceeded 41 thousand. According to the UN, 9 million people in Syria and
2.2 million in Turkey need help. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă earlier today
announced the creation of an inter-ministry task force that will monitor
developments with a view to preparing the proper response to emergency
situations.

VISIT – Chamber of Deputies speaker
Marcel Ciolacu is as of today paying a two-day official visit to Rome, Italy.
The Romanian official will meet his Italian counterpart Lorenzo Fontana today,
as well as Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Tomorrow, Marcel Ciolacu will meet
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi as well as representatives of
Romanian parishes in the Lazio Region.

MOLDOVA – Moldova’s Prime Minister
designate, Dorin Recean, is today expected to present before Parliament the
structure of his Cabinet and his governing program. Most ministers in the
Gavrilița Cabinet will preserve their portfolios, and only four ministers will
be replaced. The Recean Cabinet should have no trouble getting Parliament’s
investiture vote, given that the Action and Solidarity Party founded by the
pro-European president Maia Sandu enjoys majority in Parliament, our
correspondent in Chișinău notes. Moldovan officials explained the Cabinet swap
was necessary due to the deteriorating security context, which Dorin Recean was
the best suited person to handle, given his experience as Interior Minister and
national security presidential adviser. This is one further argument presented
by president Sandu earlier this week, when she announced the interception of a
Russian plan to overthrow the government in Moldova. Chișinău pundits believe there
might have been other reasons behind Natalia Gavrilița’s resignation, such as
the slow-moving reform of the judiciary.

TIMIȘOARA – Over 130 events will take
place over February 17-19 in Timișoara as the city prepares to officially
launch its program Timișoara – European Capital of Culture in 2023. Timișoara
mayor Dominic Fritz announced the opening event held in the Unification Square
in the center will start with a symbolic moment whereby the city will receive
the Melina Mercouri Award of the European Commission, traditionally bestowed to
every European capital of culture that successfully complied with their
candidacy obligations. We have a historic opportunity to shape public
perception and do away with prejudice. Let us use Timișoara’s European story to
create a new European destiny for Romania and rebrand the city on the map of
Europe, the Romanian official said. According to Dominic Fritz, the program
will comprise over 1,000 events to be held over the course of the entire year.

FILM – The 73rd edition of
the Berlin International Film Festival kicks off today in its traditional
format after two year of pandemic-related restrictions. Opening the event,
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to deliver a live message in
videoconference format. Some 400 features will be screened as part of the
festival, which will end on February 26. Competing for the Golden Bear and
Silver Bear awards are 19 features, 6 of which are directed by women. The
Romanian production Mammalia directed by Sebastian Mihăilescu is competing in
the Forum section. This year’s jury includes American actress Kristen Stewart
and Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude, who won the Golden Bear in 2021 for his
comedy Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn as well as the Silver Bear award in
2015 with his historical feature Aferim!

FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions
CFR Cluj are today playing Lazio Rome away from home in the first leg of the
Europa Conference League round of 16 playoffs. CFR previously played Lazio in
the 2019-2020 season in the Europa League group phase, when it managed to win
against the Italian side at home. CFR is the only Romanian club left in
European inter-club competitions. (VP)