The Week in Review, June 3-10

President Klaus Iohannis meets American counterpart Donald Trump/ Unified pay bill, passed by Parliament

Leyla Cheamil, 10.06.2017, 13:44

The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on a visit to the US

The highlight of the week in politics was the five-day official visit to the USA by the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis. He is the first head of state from Central and Eastern Europe received by the US President Donald Trump since the latter took office. The entire visit revolved around strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the US and Romania, 20 years after it was signed. Security and defence are key elements of the Strategic Partnership, President Klaus Iohannis said at a debate in Washington hosted by the Heritage Foundation, a prestigious foreign policy strategy and analysis centre. He mentioned that Romania earmarked 2% of its GDP to defence, which makes it the 6th NATO member state to allot a substantial portion of its public budget to security.

While discussing the current challenges in the international and regional security environment, the head of the Romanian state pointed to the need for a strategic and coherent approach, accompanied by the obligation to preserve unity, both inside the EU, and in the relationship between the EU and the US. He also mentioned the great importance of the economic and the inter-human aspects of the Romanian-American bilateral relations, and warned that the inclusion of Romania in the Visa Waiver programme, eagerly awaited by all Romanians, would be a catalyst for these aspects. During his meeting with representatives of the Romanian community in the US, President Iohannis voiced his appreciation for their integration in the American society, through hard work, talent and honesty, making a substantial contribution to the American economy and to strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the 2 countries.

Working visit by PM of Romania Sorin Grindeanu to Paris

This week the Prime Minister of Romania, Sorin Grindeanu, made a two-day working visit to Paris, where he had a meeting with his French counterpart Édouard Philippe. The talks focused on France’s support for Romania’s efforts to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The agenda of also included talks on the Strategic Partnership between the two countries and the consolidation of the EU after Brexit.

Sorin Grindeanu: “I have thanked for the support France is giving us in order to reach our goal of becoming an OECD member and we appreciate this, as we do appreciate all the support that France has given to Romania over the centuries. They have always been by our side, for instance, when we were trying to join NATO or the European Union. France is the country that support’s Romania’s OECD accession.”

While in Paris, PM Grindeanu took part in the ceremony occasioned by Romania joining the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, where he said integration in this body is an important step forward for the country’s nuclear energy industry. This accession is also an opportunity for Romanian experts to work with elite experts from countries with the highest nuclear energy standards, Sorin Grindeanu added.

The Chamber of Deputies has passed the Unified Pay Bill

The pay bill for public sector employees, backed by the left-wing government in Bucharest, has been passed by the Chamber of Deputies. Under the new law, state employees are to receive spaced-out pay-rises of up to 56% on an average in the following 4 years. The total sum of money earmarked for this project stands at 7 billion euros through which the government hopes to raise the employees’ standard of living. The law provides for a 25% pay rise as of January 1st 2018 for all public sector employees, while the medical and teaching staff is to receive the pledged difference as of March 1st. The Finance Ministry has given assurances on the budget’s sustainability. The unified pay bill has already sparked off discontent amid various categories of state employees. Bucharest and other major Romanian cities have already seen a series of protests staged by workers in the administration, local police, child protection services as well as in the unions from the country’s education system.

Theatre and film in Transylvania A new edition of the International Theatre Festival, a major event of its kind, kicked off in Sibiu, central Romania, on Friday. For 10 days now roughly 70 thousand spectators are expected to watch over 500 performances and events. The entire city of Sibiu and some of its surroundings are to host performances during the festival, which brings together over 3 thousand artists and guests. The festival in Sibiu is renowned for its street performances. Another Transylvanian city, Cluj Napoca in northwestern Romania, is hosting until June 11, the 16th edition of the Transylvania International Film Festival TIFF 2017. Friday saw the screening of the 1981 French production “Pour la peau d’un flic”, which was also attended by its director and lead actor Alain Delon. The French actor, at his first visit to Romania, will be awarded a prize for his career. At the age of 81, Alain Delon’s film career spans over six decades. Over 12 hundred Romanian and foreign guests are attending the screenings, concerts, workshops and debates of Romania’s largest film festival, which has Radio Romania among its partners.