October 31, 2024
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 31.10.2024, 13:55
Spain. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has today summoned the line ministers and representatives of several government institutions to discuss the situation of the Romanians affected by the floods in Spain and the support measures that the Romanian state can provide. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest is verifying, through the Romanian Consulate in Castellon de la Plana, the information regarding the disappearance of 22 Romanian citizens following the catastrophic floods that hit Spain. The recent toll shows that there are around 100 dead and dozens missing in one of the biggest natural disasters in Spain’s recent history. The most affected is the region of Valencia. The Romanian Consulate in Castellón is in permanent contact with the Spanish authorities, being prepared to provide specialized assistance, if the situation requires it. In addition, the representatives of the consular office maintain contact with the Romanian citizens who signaled that they are in difficult situations, until the identification of solutions provided by the local authorities. Romanian diplomacy warns that Spanish meteorologists have issued new warnings of heavy rains for the region of Valencia, Tarragona, Andalusia and part of Catalonia, including Barcelona. Flights operating at the airports of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón may experience delays, while the railway between Valencia and Madrid remains closed.
Campaign. The electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections in Romania starts on Thursday night, and it will last until November 30. During this period, the parties, alliances or independents entering the race for a seat in the new two-chamber parliament will have to convince the electorate to grant them the vote on December 1. There are currently 330 parliamentarians in the Chamber of Deputies, and 136 in the Senate. We recall that, also during this period, the presidential election campaign, which started a week ago, is taking place in Romania. The first round of the presidential elections will take place on November 24 and the second round – on December 8.
Trafficking. According to official data from the last four years in Romania, half of the victims of human trafficking are children, which far exceeds the European average of 15%. Sexual exploitation continues to be one of the main forms of child exploitation, along with begging and forced labour. In this context, a guide was launched on Wednesday with the help of which institutions and specialists with responsibilities in the prevention of this phenomenon, including teachers, school counselors and physicians can identify such cases early and intervene, so that those in need get out as soon as possible from trafficking networks and receive assistance, protection and support for social reintegration.
EC. The European Commission has praised the progress made by the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in implementing reforms necessary for joining the EU. In the annual report on the enlargement of the Union, in which it makes an assessment of all accession candidate or aspirant states, the Commission expresses its hope that, next year, it will be able to start discussions on negotiation chapters with Chisinau and Kyiv officials. The Republic of Moldova showed commitment on the path of reforms and showed political stability in the last year, despite Russia’s hybrid attacks, the European Commission believes. Brussels draws attention to the fact that there is still a need for efforts in many areas, including Justice. Despite the steps taken before, additional efforts are needed, also on the part of Ukraine, the Commission says. Both Ukraine and Moldova started accession negotiations in the summer of this year.
Moldova. On Sunday, November 3, the second round of the presidential elections takes place in the Republic of Moldova. Running are the incumbent president, the pro-European Maia Sandu, and the pro-Russian Alexandr Stoianoglo. In the first round, Sandu got over 42% of the votes, and her opponent, 26%. Maia Sandu has stated that joining the European Union is the only way forward for the Moldovan people and said about Stoianoglo that he is a tool of evil forces. More after the news.
Washington. The electoral race for the presidential elections in the United States entered the straight line less than a week before the polls on November 5. These elections are expected to be some of the most contested in the country’s history, with opinion polls giving equal chances to the two main candidates, the Democrat Kamala Harris and the Republican Donald Trump. According to political analysts, the race will be decided by the votes of the so-called “swing states”, which usually oscillate between Republicans and Democrats – Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina. (MI)
