Wednesday, October 5th

Romania’s future prime minister must be supported by Parliament, President Iohannis says

The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, said on Tuesday that the country’s future prime minister must be an honest and capable person and has to be supported by a majority in Parliament. The head of state added that he would not name as prime minister a person that is prosecuted or convicted.
Klaus Iohannis: I said it a long time ago, the political class has to reform, we need to have clean politicians and this will obviously be a eliminatory criteria, not only one of the most important ones.
Reporter: The co-president of ALDE party, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, has said that the prime minister is nominated from the majority that will form in the future Parliament. Until the Romanian people do not express their political preferences, the President cannot say whom he would name as prim-minister, as it would be a breach of the Constitution, the Social-Dmeocrat leader, Liviu Dragnea, has said. The President of the National Liberal Party, Alina Gorghoi, believes that the decision announced by Mr. Iohannis proves a state of normality in the political space.

The European Commission’s Chief Negociator for Brexit visits Bucharest

Michel Barnier, the Chief Negociator for Brexit in the European Commission, has come to Bucharest, in order to find out Romania’s position regarding the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. Mr. Barnier discussed with the Romanian Prime-minister Dacian Ciolos and with the Foreign Minister, Lazar Comanescu.
Reporter: Michel Barnier will focus his mandate of discussions with London on three main themes: cutting Great Britain off the European Union budget, commerce and foreign policy, and also the problem of the single market, that includes the sensitive issue of labor movement, where Romania has stated clearly that will not compromise upon. Mr. Bernier’s visit to Romania is part of a tour in the EU member states on the Brexit issue, and his first stop was Germany.