News review of the day – December 30th

President Klaus Johannis continues the series of meetings with ministers

The Romanian President Klaus Johannis continues, today, a series of meetings with ministers who manage areas which are the responsibility of the president. Presidency’s spokesman, Tatiana Niculescu Bran, stated that talks aimed at national security, defense and foreign policy of Romania. Yesterday, President Klaus Johannis met with Prime Minister Victor Ponta and they talked about the state budget and the additional allocation of 0.3 percent of GDP for the Ministry of Defense.

Foreign policy priorities – on the agenda Johannis-Aurescu

The Romanian President Klaus Johannis has met, during the morning, at the Cotroceni Palace with the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu. According to a press release by the Presidential Administration, during the meeting, which lasted an hour, the two discussed about foreign policy priorities and the schedule for the visits the Romanian head of state will make abroad in the first part of next year.

Government makes amendments to the Education Law

The Government has made several amendments to the Education Law, using an emergency ordinance. One of them is introducing, for the first time, the concept of dual education, which involves both theoretical education and practical training of students in companies. Regarding higher education, the term to obtain a doctoral degree for academics has been extended until the end of the current academic year.

Snowfalls and blizzards with tragic consequences

The snowfalls and blizzards in recent days have had tragic consequences – two pregnant women lost their lives because ambulances were unable to reach them. The spokesperson for the Interior Ministry has reviewed the consequences of snowfall in recent days, so 14 sections of national roads remain closed and 21 trains, on routes through Constanta, Galati, Suceava, Iasi, Ploiesti, Bucharest, Buzau , Mărăşeşti and Galati, are canceled due to bad weather. The authorities continually work to remove the effects of snowfall in the last day. The measures taken by the National Committee for Emergency Situations have been effective and helped rescue nearly a thousand persons at risk.

Natalia Polikarpov