Debates in Romania’s Constitutional Court
Romania’s Contitutional Court (CCR) is expected to debate on Wednesday a complaint put forward by parliament’s lower house speaker. The complaint involves an alleged conflict of interests between the country’s Public Ministry on one hand, and Parliament, Romania’s High Court of Cassation and Justice, and judicial institutions on the other. The issue refers to alleged co-operation agreements signed with Romania’s Intelligence Agency (SRI) between 2009 and 2016. CCR agreed to postpone the debates as former Justice Minister Florin Iordache, the official expected to present the document before CCR on behalf of the House of Deputies, was not available on November 14 when debates were actually scheduled. Deputies of the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD) claim the agreements signed between the Attorney General’s Office and SRI between 2009 – 2016 have turned the SRI into a criminal investigation body.
Moldova’s parliament speaker on a visit to Romania
While on official visit to Romania, Moldova’s parliament speaker Andrian Candu met Liviu Dragnea, speaker of the parliament’s lower house and leader of the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, Romania’s Senate speaker and leader of the junior governing Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) at the Parliament Palace in the capital Bucharest on Tuesday. As Romania is about to preside the European Council next January, the event will allow the Republic of Moldova to become a closer partner of the European family, Mr. Dragnea told the Moldovan official during their meeting. Mr. Tăriceanu said Romania was supporting Moldova in its efforts to end the Transnistrian conflict as the neighbouring country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity should be preserved. Transnistria’s Russian-speaking population believes that its identity would be overwhelmed by the ethnic Moldovan majority thus seeing the Russian military presence as protection. Moldova contends that those Russian troops violate its territorial integrity while Moscow has repeatedly blocked any attempts to reach a settlement.
„Jews and the Great Union. Before and After 1918”
„Jews and the Great Union. Before and After 1918” – an event taking place in Romania’s capital Bucharest entered its second day on Wednesday. Participants include historians and leading members of the Romanian Jewish community. The event is organised by Romania’s National History Museum in Bucharest and it is designed to emphasise the Jewish contribution to the country’s crucial events such as the creation of Greater Romania and the Great Union. Following WWI, as many Jews faught for Romania during the war, they were ultimately recognised as citizens of Romania. However, during the Holocaust, about half of the country’s approximately 300,000 Jews were exterminated as Romania was an ally of Germany during WWII. According to a census, there were nearly 25,000 Jews in Romania in 1977. By 1992, there were fewer than 9,000. (The last count in 2011 recorded 3,271 Romanian Jews).
Harsh weather in Romania
Southern Romania was hit by heavy snow and high winds early on Wednesday. Winters in Romania are quite cold though this time the winter came earlier than expected after warm autumn days. Towns and villages in southern Romania and capital Bucharest are under heavy snow and road closings and traffic restrictions have been reported around the region. Some of most affected areas include the southern border town of Giurgiu and Turnu Măgurele, a town in the sounthern county of Teleorman, where a border checkpoint to neighbouring Bulgaria was closed.
Alexandru Danga, RADOR
