CSAT meeting
Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) meets to discuss the country’s military procurement programme and Romania’s mandate at the next NATO summit in May. The meeting on Tuesday is expected to assess CSAT activity last year and discuss the institution’s priorities throughout 2017. Under CSAT coordonation, Romania’s armed forces collaborate with other security institutions to provide overall Romania’s national security and defence. Also under debate are issues concerning the activity of the Operational Council of Cyber Security in 2016.
Expected ruling of Romania’s Constitutional Court
Romania’s Constitutional Court is expected to announce on Tuesday its ruling following a formal notification put forward by the country’s Ombudsman Victor Ciorbea. The document involves a law which prohibits offenders from occupying a government position. A similar complaint came under court debate on March 7 when no decision was made. Such complaints must be admitted, a spokesman for Mr. Ciorbea pointed out at the time. He also mentioned that MPs were not subject to similar laws. The issue may point to Liviu Dragnea, president of the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD) and speaker of the Romanian Parliament’s lower house, who was barred from becoming prime minister following a conviction last year for rigging a 2012 referendum for which he received a suspended sentence. He is also on trial in a separate case accused of inciting a county councillor to abuse his power, which he has denied. Any fresh sentence of over three years would automatically send him to jail.
Gopo Awards 2017
The annual Gopo Awards ceremony opens at the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre in the capital Bucharest on Tuesday. Here are some potential winners: the favourite is Cristi Puiu’s „Sieranevada” (16 nominations), „a comedy that looks like a drama, sounds like a drama, and remains dead serious, and politically searching, through three full hours of actually twisting your leg”, according to critics. Other potential winners include „Dogs”, director Bogdan Mirică’s first feature (13 nominations), Radu Jude’s „Scarred Hearts” (12 nominations), and Cristian Mungiu’s „Graduation” (9 nominations). The life achievement awards will go to stage and film actors Ion Dichiseanu and Valentin Uritescu. The Gopo Awards are the national Romanian film awards, similar to the Academy Awards – Oscar (USA), the Goya Awards (Spain), the César Award (France) or David di Donatello in Italy. They are presented by the Association for Romanian Film Promotion and were inaugurated in 2007.
Alexandru Danga – RADOR
