Romanian central city of Sibiu waiting for EU leaders at informal summit
Final preparations are being made on Tuesday in Romania’s Transylvanian city of Sibiu ahead of an informal EU summit opening on May 9. Hosted by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, the informal European Council will bring together such EU heads of state or government as Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron. Other guests also include EU Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. EU leaders will discuss among other issues the EU’s next strategic agenda for 2019-2024. However, the summit is expected to set Brexit aside for an agenda that focuses on the future of the bloc just two weeks before EU elections. Sibiu’s City Hall Square becomes the ‘ground zero’ of the event with tough security measures in place. As part of the security drive, pedestrian access is restricted in central areas while near-by markets, schools, bars and restaurants will close. At an extraordinary meeting on Monday, Sibiu officials also decided to prohibit sales of alcohol in restaurants, bars and shops.
Romanian Parliament hearings of new CCR judges
Hearings are scheduled on Tuesday before Romanian Parliament’s justice committees of next judges to Romania’s Constitutional Court (CCR). Justice commissioners in the parliament’s upper and lower houses will conduct hearings for candidates to the CCR as seats are expected to be left open in June. The nominees are then expected to be confirmed following a vote in the Senate and the parliament’s lower house. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis already nominated former presidential adviser Simina Tănăsescu as his andidate to the CCR. Other candidates to the CCR nine-year mandate include MPs Ioan Cupşa and Daniel Fenechiu (for the opposition National Liberal Party – PNL), Cristian Deliorga, a judge in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanza (for the governing Social Democratic Party – PSD, and allegedly for the governing Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe – ALDE), and Gheorghe Stan, head of the newly created Special Section for Investigation of Criminal Offences in the Judiciary (also on the behalf of PSD).
Romania’s Electrolux workers waiting for an answer
Renewed negociations were underway on Monday between workers’ reprezentatives and employers of Electrolux plant in the Romanian north-western town of Satu Mare. Since March, some 460 workers of the Swedish giant Electrolux’s subsidiary in Satu Mare have been on strike. As working conditions deteriorated, strikers were demanding a gross increase of RON 650 (€137). Employers proposed a 5% increase and a paltry bonus. Also in March, Electrolux strikers organised a „blue jacket” protest inspired by the French „yellow jackets”. A final decision is expected on Tuesday when protesters may put an end to their ten-week strike in case their demands are answered.
Alexandru Danga, RADOR
