THE WEEK IN REVIEW

4-8 March, 2024

Corina Cristea, 09.03.2024, 13:54

PPE Congress in Bucharest

Over 2,000 delegates from 40 countries, including 13 heads of state and government, as well as presidents of parties and European commissioners, participated, on Wednesday and Thursday, in Bucharest, in the Congress of the European People’s Party. On this occasion, Ursula von der Leyen was appointed the EPP candidate for the presidency of the European Commission. During a press conference, she stated that her objective is to preserve a strong and secure, peaceful and prosperous, democratic and united European Union. She also stated that ‘Russian President Vladimir Putin must not be allowed to win the war by which he tried to change borders by force again’. The EPP candidate reiterated her support for Ukraine, for its European future, and promised at the same time to continue the fight against climate change. On the first day of the Congress in Bucharest, the European People’s Party unanimously adopted an electoral manifesto demanding that Romania and Bulgaria fully join the Schengen area. The document also received the popular vote in Austria, a country whose chancellor, Karl Nehammer, also from the same political family, has so far opposed it. In Bucharest, the president of the EPP, Manfred Weber, reiterated that Romania and Bulgaria meet all the criteria. We recall that, last December, the Council of the European Union voted for the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen only by air and sea, starting March 2024. The meeting was hosted by the National Liberal Party, co-governing in Romania, in partnership with the European People’s Party . Bucharest was also the host of a congress of the European party in October 2012.

Support for Romania’s full accession to Schengen

In its approach to full accession to the Schengen area, Romania also has the support of Belgium, which now holds the presidency of the Council of the Union. At this week’s Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels, the Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden, emphasized that the Belgian presidency of the EU Council will continue to work for a full Schengen accession of the two countries, in accordance with the European Commission’s recommendations. Present at the Council, the Romanian Minister of the Interior, Cătălin Predoiu, emphasized that Bucharest is already cooperating for border protection and combating illegal migration in Romania. He stated that Romania reduced migration by about 60% last year and added: ‘if we look at the situation on the ground, we see that Romania could strengthen the Schengen zone, and it is not right at all to be only partially integrated in the Schengen area’. In Brussels, the Romanian minister signed with his Bulgarian counterpart and the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs a new collaboration framework for border management. The two states now have at their disposal an extra 85 million euros for increasing capacities.

Meetings of President Klaus Iohannis

President Klaus Iohannis held talks, on Thursday, in Bucharest, with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, and after the meeting the head of state wrote on a social network that the process of Romania’s full accession to Schengen will continue until this final goal is reached. ‘The European Union must be united, strong and prosperous, and the entry of our country into the area of free movement will further strengthen European security for the benefit of all citizens’, appreciated the President of Romania. The Chancellor of Austria said, in his speech before the participants of the EPP Congress, that the borders of the Union need funding, and that quickly implemented asylum procedures are necessary, so that those who are illegally on EU territory can be repatriated. This week, the head of state had a meeting, in Bucharest, with his counterpart from the neighboring Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. Earlier, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also held talks with Maia Sandu, in which context he reconfirmed his ‘firm’ support for Chisinau’s European path.

Decisions in the Chamber of Deputies

The Chamber of Deputies adopted the draft law that allows the organization of presidential elections in September. PSD and PNL, in government, agreed that the first round of elections will take place on September 15, and the second on the 29th of the same month. The normative act was challenged by the USR and the Force of the Right at the Constitutional Court, which will discuss the opposition’s referral on March 20. The draft law, that provides that high-risk drug traffickers will no longer receive suspended sentences, and the trading of psychoactive substances will be punished with imprisonment from three to ten years, passed the Chamber of Deputies and went on to endorsement. Last but not least, the deputies rejected with a majority of votes the simple motion against the Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş. The initiators, USR and the Force of the Right, criticized the introduction of the 10% tax on medical leaves. Instead, Minister Boloş rejected the accusations and categorized the opposition’s approach as politically motivated.

Simona Halep wins partial victory at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne reduced tennis player Simona Halep’s sentence for doping from 4 years to nine months. The Romanian, former world number one, winner at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and holder of over 20 other trophies, can thus return to the field, as her provisional suspension began on October 7, 2022. The suspension had been decided for two alleged sports offenses – the presence in urine of a prohibited substance, and irregularities in the biological passport. According to the CAS, Halep proved that the violation of anti-doping rules was unintentional. She has sued the Canadian company that produced the nutritional supplements she believes caused her to test positive, and is seeking $10 million in damages.

PPE Congress in Bucharest

Over 2,000 delegates from 40 countries, including 13 heads of state and government, as well as presidents of parties and European commissioners, participated, on Wednesday and Thursday, in Bucharest, in the Congress of the European People’s Party. On this occasion, Ursula von der Leyen was appointed the EPP candidate for the presidency of the European Commission. During a press conference, she stated that her objective is to preserve a strong and secure, peaceful and prosperous, democratic and united European Union. She also stated that ‘Russian President Vladimir Putin must not be allowed to win the war by which he tried to change borders by force again’. The EPP candidate reiterated her support for Ukraine, for its European future, and promised at the same time to continue the fight against climate change. On the first day of the Congress in Bucharest, the European People’s Party unanimously adopted an electoral manifesto demanding that Romania and Bulgaria fully join the Schengen area. The document also received the popular vote in Austria, a country whose chancellor, Karl Nehammer, also from the same political family, has so far opposed it. In Bucharest, the president of the EPP, Manfred Weber, reiterated that Romania and Bulgaria meet all the criteria. We recall that, last December, the Council of the European Union voted for the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen only by air and sea, starting March 2024. The meeting was hosted by the National Liberal Party, co-governing in Romania, in partnership with the European People’s Party . Bucharest was also the host of a congress of the European party in October 2012.

Support for Romania’s full accession to Schengen

In its approach to full accession to the Schengen area, Romania also has the support of Belgium, which now holds the presidency of the Council of the Union. At this week’s Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels, the Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden, emphasized that the Belgian presidency of the EU Council will continue to work for a full Schengen accession of the two countries, in accordance with the European Commission’s recommendations. Present at the Council, the Romanian Minister of the Interior, Cătălin Predoiu, emphasized that Bucharest is already cooperating for border protection and combating illegal migration in Romania. He stated that Romania reduced migration by about 60% last year and added: ‘if we look at the situation on the ground, we see that Romania could strengthen the Schengen zone, and it is not right at all to be only partially integrated in the Schengen area’. In Brussels, the Romanian minister signed with his Bulgarian counterpart and the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs a new collaboration framework for border management. The two states now have at their disposal an extra 85 million euros for increasing capacities.

Meetings of President Klaus Iohannis

President Klaus Iohannis held talks, on Thursday, in Bucharest, with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, and after the meeting the head of state wrote on a social network that the process of Romania’s full accession to Schengen will continue until this final goal is reached. ‘The European Union must be united, strong and prosperous, and the entry of our country into the area of free movement will further strengthen European security for the benefit of all citizens’, appreciated the President of Romania. The Chancellor of Austria said, in his speech before the participants of the EPP Congress, that the borders of the Union need funding, and that quickly implemented asylum procedures are necessary, so that those who are illegally on EU territory can be repatriated. This week, the head of state had a meeting, in Bucharest, with his counterpart from the neighboring Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. Earlier, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also held talks with Maia Sandu, in which context he reconfirmed his ‘firm’ support for Chisinau’s European path.

Decisions in the Chamber of Deputies

The Chamber of Deputies adopted the draft law that allows the organization of presidential elections in September. PSD and PNL, in government, agreed that the first round of elections will take place on September 15, and the second on the 29th of the same month. The normative act was challenged by the USR and the Force of the Right at the Constitutional Court, which will discuss the opposition’s referral on March 20. The draft law, that provides that high-risk drug traffickers will no longer receive suspended sentences, and the trading of psychoactive substances will be punished with imprisonment from three to ten years, passed the Chamber of Deputies and went on to endorsement. Last but not least, the deputies rejected with a majority of votes the simple motion against the Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş. The initiators, USR and the Force of the Right, criticized the introduction of the 10% tax on medical leaves. Instead, Minister Boloş rejected the accusations and categorized the opposition’s approach as politically motivated.

Simona Halep wins partial victory at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne reduced tennis player Simona Halep’s sentence for doping from 4 years to nine months. The Romanian, former world number one, winner at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and holder of over 20 other trophies, can thus return to the field, as her provisional suspension began on October 7, 2022. The suspension had been decided for two alleged sports offenses – the presence in urine of a prohibited substance, and irregularities in the biological passport. According to the CAS, Halep proved that the violation of anti-doping rules was unintentional. She has sued the Canadian company that produced the nutritional supplements she believes caused her to test positive, and is seeking $10 million in damages.