December 17, 2020

Talks on Romania’s new government expected to resume

Renewed talks on Romania’s future government are expected to resume on Thursday after a deadlock in the last two days over the appointment of a prime minister and the next speaker in parliament’s lower house. The leadership of the right-wing National Liberal Party (PNL) renewed its proposal of a formula including current Finance Minister Florin Cîțu or PNL leader Ludovic Orban as next prime minister. The Liberals believed the decision would allow a breakthrough but their partners in the center-right alliance of USR-PLUS already rejected the proposal. The crisis gets even more complicated as the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) claims the position of head of the Senate. A government led by Mr. Orban or any other leader of a centre-right coalition would be welcomed in Brussels after years of left-wing governments suppressing the independence of courts, a charge they denied.

Day of mourning in Timișoara

A mourning day is observed on Thursday in Romania’s western city of Timișoara where first anti-Communist protesters have died 31 years ago. Religious services and wreath-laying ceremonies are scheduled despite coronavirus threats. December 17 remains one of the darkest days in recent history for the people in Timișoara as it is the day when government forces of Communist strongman Nicolae Ceaușescu opened fire on peaceful protesters who gathered in the city center. The 1989 protests in Timișoara claimed almost 100 deaths with another 350 wounded. Events in Timișoara led to the fall of Ceaușescu’s Communist regime a few days later.

Romania coronavirus updates

Romania reported 5,697 new coronavirus cases on Thursday with 107 deaths (57 men, 50 women) and 1,297 people under intensive care. In capital Bucharest, Covid-19 cases dropped below 7 per 1,000 people at 903 cases, according to data issued by the country’s Strategic Communication Group (GCS). The new coronavirus was confirmed in Romania for the first time on February 28, when a first case was reported in the southern Gorj county. Romanian authorities issued fines to people who failed to comply with restrictions designed to curb coronavirus spread, and the relatively high fines have been viewed as a way to prevent it from becoming even more overwhelmed.

Alexandru Danga