A roundup of the week’s main stories
Simple motion against the interior minister
The scandal triggered by the way in which the gendarmes reacted during the anti-government protest of August 10th in Bucharest is far from dying out. Early this week, the Chamber of Deputies rejected the simple motion filed by the opposition National Liberal Party against the Interior Minister Carmen Dan. The Liberals called for the minister's resignation invoking the way in which the intervention of the gendarmes was managed, describing it as excessive and damaging Romania's image abroad. Carmen Dan has explained that the protest was approached as an event threatening public order, and the intervention as legal. Nevertheless, the explanations given by the minister are far from convicting the opposition. On the other hand, the ruling Social Democratic Party has called on the state institutions to urgently investigate the information carried by the media with regard to a potential foreign funding of the street protests and planning of the violent actions that occurred on that day. In the meantime, the Army Prosecutor's Office continues its investigations into the August 10 events. Some 770 people affected on that day have filed criminal complaints.
Top level visits to Romania
This week has been marked by a number of top level visits to Bucharest. Given the upcoming Romanian presidency of the EU Council, in the first half of 2019, the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has held talks with prime-minister Viorica Dancila and the country's president Klaus Iohannis. The latter has stated that Romania wishes to join the Schengen area as soon as possible. The relation with the Netherlands, the head of state said, has a major economic component, but also a social one, given that some 30,000 Romanians are living in that country. Klaus Iohannis and Mark Rutte have also agreed that, although their countries stands do not match on all matters, they are both interested in strengthening the EU. Also visiting Bucharest was the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini. On the occasion, prime-minister Dancila stated that, during its term as president of the EU Council, Romania will pay special attention to the negotiations concerning the future multi-annual financial framework 2021-2027. As regards bilateral relations, a cooperation agreement was signed in the field of labour inspection, benefiting Romanian workers in Slovakia, as well as a cooperation program in education, which extends the already existing cooperation framework. Also this week, the Romanian capital has hosted an informal security meeting of the foreign ministers of Romania, Poland and Turkey, Teodor Melescanu, Jacek Czaputowick and Mevlut Cavusoglu respectively. It was the fifth trilateral meeting held in this format.
The spread of the African swine fever virus continues
African swine fever keeps spreading in Romania. According to the National Sanitary Authority, more than 200 villages and towns in 12 counties have been affected, and the number of outbreaks has reached 900. So far, 232,000 infected pigs have been culled. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has announced that the government will pass an emergency ordinance according to which all employees who have lost their jobs because of the fever will get financial compensations for up to six months. The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan, on a visit to Bucharest, has stated that 75% of the pigs bred in EU households are from Romania. He has also stated that the European Commission intends to provide the affected farmers with financial support. The Romanian Intelligence Service has warned of the risk of another virus spreading across the country, this time affecting goats and sheep.
A new school year in Romania
Some 3 million pupils in Romania started school on Monday. The system is marked by both good and bad things. There are many schools that have not been refurbished, many do not have sanitary or fire safety authorizations and some textbooks include mistakes. Even so, children were happy to meet their mates and teachers after a long summer. In keeping with tradition, political figures attended the start of the new school year. President Klaus Iohannis, for instance, attended the opening ceremony at the Horea, Closca si Crisan National College in Alba Iulia, central Romania, which next year will celebrate its 100th anniversary. In Constanta, the Black Sea port city in south-eastern Romania, the Defense Minister Mihai Fifor attended the festivities occasioned by the reopening of the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" Military College, after a 20-year break.
Referendum for traditional family
A referendum on redefining the concept of family in the Romanian Constitution is to be held on October 7th, after the Senate has this week endorsed a bill on that matter. According to the new draft Constitution, family is based on the marriage between a man and a woman, not between spouses, as the Constitution reads today. The decision to hold a referendum on this issue started from a citizen's initiative, which gathered three million signatures from all across the country. Signed including by representatives of religious denominations in Romania, the initiative is similar to those in Croatia and Slovenia a few years ago. The ACCEPT Association, which defends the rights of sexual minorities, has reacted, saying that the Senate's vote is a violation of the right to respect for one's private and family life, which is an unalienable right of all people, irrespective of their gender and sexual preferences.
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