July 13, 2024
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 13.07.2024, 14:00
HEAT WAVE – Territories in the center, north and southeast are under a code orange alert against extreme heat, while the capital city and the remaining counties are under a code red alert, both in place until Sunday. A new code red alert is expected to take effect on Monday, targeting the entire country with the exception of nine counties in the north, where a code orange alert will be in place. Highs during the interval are expected to reach or exceed 42 degrees, with heat persisting throughout the night and the THI exceeding the critical level of 80, thus creating severe thermal discomfort. Central and local authorities are making efforts to cope with the effects of the heat wave. First aid and water supply tents have been set up in several towns and villages. Traffic restrictions for vehicles with a mass exceeding 7 tons are in place over the weekend on motorways, express roads and certain national road segments.
DRUG TESTING – The Government has amended the Emergency Decree on drug testing of drivers, after civil society harshly criticized the document. In the event lab tests of biological samples are not ready within 72 hours, drivers can have their licenses back. Authorities said all drivers will be submitted to a drug test if road traffic agents find illegal substances in their vehicle or in their possession. Should final lab tests turn positive, drivers will lose their licenses again and will bear the full consequences of the law.
NATIONAL DAY OF FRANCE – Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Friday thanked France for assuming command of the NATO Multinational Battle Group in Romania and for its sizable contingent deployed to Romania, arguing that NATO’s advanced presence on the Eastern Flank is a major component of the Alliance’s deterrence and defense posture. The Romanian official attended a reception celebrating the National Day of France. Marcel Ciolacu referred to the Strategic Partnership between the two states, which next year will celebrate 145 years of diplomatic ties, during which time “we have become a family”, the Romanian official said. France is one of Romania’s top investors, the Prime Minister added, also thanking France for its unwavering support for Romania’s efforts to join Schengen and the OECD.
BACCALAUREATE – The admission rate of the Baccalaureate exam went up by 1.8%, reaching 78.2% after all re-examination requests have been solved, the Education Ministry reports. Most participants in the Romanian Baccalaureate (18.852) obtained average scores ranging between 9 and 9.49, while 59 pupils grabbed a perfect score – 10. The second session of the Romanian Baccalaureate is scheduled for August 8-30, with the registration stage set for July 15-22.
CULTMUSE – The National History Museum of Romania will be hosting the „Cultures and Heritage through Museum Education” (CultMuse) project for the next month. Saturday’s agenda included a treasure-hunting activity. 14 volunteers from Romania, France, Sweden, Estonia, Finland and Latvia will take part in various activities designed to encourage the public to discover the world of museums, broken down into three categories: implementation, logistics and advertising. The team of volunteers will try to offer guests an appealing experience at the museum, also highlighting the museum’s role as an informal source of education. CultMuse seeks to encourage the organization of educational activities within museums, improve understanding of these cultural institutions and provide the public with an opportunity of taking part in cross-disciplinary activities organized by EU volunteers with different intellectual and professional backgrounds. The project is funded by the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps programme.
INVESTIGATION – The former leftist Prime Minister of Romania in the 1990s, Petre Roman, on Friday appeared before prosecutors for a deposition in the so-called 1990 Miners Raid investigation, where he stands accused of crimes against humanity. The former president Ion Iliescu, deputy Prime Minister Gelu-Voican Voiculescu and former Romanian intelligence chief Virgil Măgureanu are also prosecuted in the investigation.
ASSISTANCE – A second brigade of 40 firefighters from Romania left for France on Saturday to replace the first brigade, which for the past couple of weeks has been assisting French counterparts by monitoring the risk of forest wildfires in at-risk areas. Over July 1-31, the Department for Emergency Situations with the Interior Ministry is taking part in a pre-positioning program organized by the Directorate General for European Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), aimed at consolidating the resilience of French authorities in managing wildfires. Therefore, a specialized brigade consisting of 40 firefighters and 8 special fire-fighting vehicles (3 3,000-liter trucks, 1 30,000-liter water tanker, 1 10,000-liter truck, 1 first-response and command vehicle and 1 bus) reached France on June 30.
VOTE – MEPs next week are voting on Ursula von der Leyen’s candidacy for a second term at the helm of the European Commission. A debate will also be held ahead of the vote. To get re-elected, the 65-year-old German president of the European Commission needs at least 361 of the total number of 720 eligible votes. This week, two new far-right parties were set up in the European Parliament, one of them totaling enough members to become the third political force of the current legislature. The EPP, S&D, RENEW and the Greens together hold 454 seats and are planning to isolate the two extremist groups – The Patriots for Europe and the Europe of Sovereign Nations. Both oppose support for Ukraine, are viewed as friendly towards Moscow and accused of comprising authoritarian parties. Also next week, MEPs will also cast their votes to elect the new president of the European Parliament, as well as 14 vice-presidents and quaestors. Born in 1979, Roberta Metsola of Malta is favorite to secure a new term in office. (VP)
