Romanian Government postponed the rotation for the post of prime minister due to the teachers’ strike
The rotation for the post of prime minister between PNL and PSD leaders, which was supposed to start on Friday, is postponed. Romania’s prime minister, Nicolae Ciucă, will remain in office until the executive manages to resolve the social conflict triggered by teachers. The announcement was made at the Victoria Palace, at a press conference attended by the three presidents of the coalition parties. It was a joint decision, Nicolae Ciucă said. „We agreed that until these problems are solved I will not submit my mandate and will continue to assume the responsibility of the Prime Minister’s office. I hope that the conditions will be created so that in the shortest possible time we will be able to implement the coalition’s rocade plan,” Nicolae Ciucă said. Dialogue with education unions will be maintained in the coming period. Their demands are legitimate, all three leaders of the governing coalition have acknowledged, but the budget situation is difficult and the government could not give more for the time being, and the decision to postpone the rotation in government is a correct one because the priority is to solve people’s problems, said PSD President Marcel Ciolacu, who should have taken over as prime minister by the end of the month. „I believe that the decision taken by the three of us, the co-chairs of this coalition, is a correct decision, which we take together. Together we will continue, I, as President of the Chamber of Deputies, representing the Legislature, you as Prime Minister, representing the Executive, to resolve as quickly as possible this categorically legitimate problem coming from the teachers”, declared Marcel Ciolacu. „We need credibility and predictability to get through difficult times. We have decided to continue in this formula with Nicolae Ciucă as Prime Minister and to respond exactly as society wants and as we have undertaken in the government programme”, said the leader of the UDMR, Kelemen Hunor.
Teachers’ strike in Romania continues
After three days of negotiations the result is zero, say Romanian teachers, who took to the streets again on Friday in several major cities across the country, including Sibiu, Craiova, Galati, Buzau and Botosani. „We need money to support our families, and to pay taxes. They are insulting us with the salaries and the offers they have given us. We are not dogs to enjoy the leftovers that fall from our masters’ table,” said one of the protesters. „The government’s offer is deplorable, I mean it’s really a mockery, honestly. And it’s not just about pay, it’s about our status. We are treated like lousy people,” said another protesting teacher. The majority of students are on the teachers’ side, they deserve higher salaries, they say. But as the protest drags on, concerns are growing that national exams may be postponed and that the midterms aren’t over either, with many children still not getting enough marks.
Romanian neurosurgery ranks first in Europe
Romanian neurosurgery is at the top in Europe, says the president of the „Constantin Arseni” Neurosurgery Association (ANCA), Professor Mircea Gorgan. He says that the number of specialists in the field is high and that almost all county hospitals benefit from the services of a neurosurgeon, which is essential in saving lives, especially after a trauma. Neurosurgeons also have the ability to refer patients to centres of excellence in university centres to deal with complicated pathologies. Professor Dr Mircea Gorgan also explained what might attract future doctors to neurosurgery. „Students should be attracted to this wonderful specialty through courses, through their participation and mentoring in student circles, by strengthening international relations, by supporting student surgeons’ organisations. But the basis for training young people is the residency. From this point of view, the discipline of neurosurgery at ‘Bagdasar Arseni’ Hospital organises, including through the ANCA Association, many continuing medical education courses. We have a well-established curriculum for the theoretical training of residents, to which we add very much hands-on courses, because our profession involves working with our hands and from this point of view we consider that we are at a very advanced stage, exactly at the European level, in terms of residency curriculum”, said Professor Dr Mircea Gorgan.
Magda Baciu
