Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă in Brussels
Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă is in Brussles on Wednesday for a two-day visit. Ms. Dăncilă is expected to attend bilateral meetings with EU officials including European Commission’s First Vice-President Frans Timmermans and Michel Barnier, EU’s Brexit chief negociator. The Romanian PM is also expected to co-chair a meeting of the Women’s European Council (WEUCO). WEUCO brings together MEPs, Commissioners and representatives of the Presidency of the Council of the EU in order to frame the European agenda from a gender perspective and to undertake tangible actions aimed at tackling gender inequality.The Women’s European Council takes place before European Council meetings, and is expected to endorse conclusions to be submitted to the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission. Another event is also on PM’s Brussels agenda: Romania’s Permanent Representation to the European Union will host a debate on gender equality, which is one of the Romanian EU Presidency’s priorities, Ms. Dăncilă told Radio Romania.
Romania’s justice minister under debate in parliament
Romanian Parliament’s lower house is expected to vote a simple motion against Justice Minister Tudorel Toader on Wednesday. The country’s opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR) had already filed a censure motion against Mr. Toader last month over an emergency decree amending justice laws. It was the second motion against Mr. Toader after a previous similar move by the PNL and USR last October. However, recently the minister was also sharply criticised by his supporters in the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD) recently. The minister made the headlines while trying to stop his own compatriot, former anti-corruption chief prosecutor Laura Codruţa Kövesi, from heading the EU prosecutor’s office.
Romanian president’s complaint rejected by CCR
Romania’s Constitutional Court rejected on Wednesday a complaint put forward by President Klaus Iohannis concerning the country’s 2019 budget. The court established that the law was constitutional. President Iohannis said in February that the budget was „unrealistic, overvalued, and overdue”. However, the Constitutional Court admitted another complaint of President Iohannis concerning specific targets established in the fiscal-budget plan. Mr. Iohannis claimed that the document was amended just after a vote in parliament of its initial version.
Alexandru Danga
