Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Brussels
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis was in Brussels on Wednesday for talks with European Comission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, head of the European Council. Talks focused on Romania’s recent moves towards changing the country’s current legislation designed to fight corruption – a move which sparked mass protests in the capital Bucharest and other towns and cities.
„If Romanian legislation were to remain what was foreseen by parliament, then getting rid of the CVM [Cooperation and Verification Mechanism] and the accession of Romania to Schengen membership would be looked at completely different terms,” Juncker warned at a joint press conference with Romanian president Klaus Iohannis. However, he appeared convinced that Romanian authorities would make changes requested by the Commission and the Romanian Constitutional Court, which has struck down some of the more controversial changes.
“The rule of law is vital for Romania and for Europe and there is no doubt about it at home or in Brussels,” Iohannis said in his turn. “No one started to think that for some reason the rule of law stopped working in Romania. We cannot panic automatically about everything.”
NATO ships visit Romania
Ships assigned to the Standing NATO Maritime Groups SNMG2 and SNMCMG2 are expected in the Romanian port of Constantza on Thursday for a two-day visit in order to establish details of future joint military training in the Black Sea. Delegates of the group will meet Romanian Fleet Command officials and local representatives of Constantza City Hall. The groups include Romania’s King Ferdinand frigate and Lt. Lupu Dinescu dredger along with British and Turkish ships.
Romanian foreign minister meets Polish counterpart
Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu is expected to meet his Polish counterpart in the capital Bucharest on Thursday. Mr. Meleşcanu and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz will hold talks focused on issues concerning the strategic partnership between the two countries and related to a trilateral also including Turkey. Romania and Poland are strategic partners following an agreement signed on October 7, 2009. The presence of Poland and Romania in both EU and NATO makes their eastern borders more secure. Both countries are hosting parts of NATO’s missile defense system and NATO multinational battalions, and both have strategic interests in the non-member neighborhood to their east relating to their historic, cultural, linguistic ties (Poland with Ukraine and Belarus; Romania with the Republic of Moldova).
Romanian registrars go on strike
Romanian court registrars launched a Japanese strike on Thursday. However, Denisa Dândăreanu, head of Romania’s Registrars Association told Radio Romania that court activities would go on as scheduled. Protesters call on the country’s Labour and Justice Ministeries a review of current payrolls. They claim that while raised by 25 percent their wages went actually down as they got between RON 5 and RON 500 less. Protesters also claim that salary schemes for January 1 are still to be published. Registrars with seniority of more than 15 years were most affected when social contributions moved from employer to employee.
Alexandru Danga, RADOR
