Italian President on official visit to Bucharest
Italian President Sergio Mattarella is on an official visit to Bucharest on Wednesday, after yesterday’s visit to the Republic of Moldova. The visit takes place at the invitation of the Romanian Head of State, Klaus Iohannis. The two heads of state will today discuss European and global developments, with a focus on the European Union’s strategic agenda and the security situation. The official visit of Italian President Sergio Mattarella is a continuation of the dialogue at the highest level between the two countries, as Romania and Italy are celebrating 145 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations and 60 years since the upgrading of relations to embassy level. The Italian President’s visit to Bucharest reconfirms the importance of the strengthened strategic partnership, the dynamism of the many areas of bilateral cooperation, the contribution to the social and economic life of the Romanian community in Italy and the Italian community in Romania, as well as the common approaches in European, Euro-Atlantic and international fora.
PSD-PNL Alliance secured the highest number of MEPs in the European Parliament elections
The final results of the Europarliamentary elections and the list of the 33 Romanian representatives in the European Parliament were published in the Official Gazette number 569. The PSD-PNL Alliance is in first place with 48.5% of the votes and will have 19 MEPs. It is followed by AUR, with just under 15% and 6 seats, the United Right Alliance – 8.7%, and 3 seats, UDMR with almost 6.5 percent and two seats. The SOS Romania party also has 2 seats in the Strasbourg Parliament, obtaining just over the required threshold of 5% of the vote. Independent candidate Nicolae Ștefănuță managed alone to win another MEP mandate. Turnout was over 52%.
Heatwave extends across most of Romania
The heatwave affecting most of the country these days will continue beyond the weekend. In this context, the Romanian Ministry of Health has issued a series of recommendations. The first and most important is to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun between 11:00 and 18:00 as much as possible. And if you do go out, wear sun hats, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothes made of natural fibres. Drink 2 litres of water a day without waiting for thirst to appear. In hot weather, it is best to drink a glass of water every 15 to 20 minutes. Do not drink alcohol, as it stimulates dehydration and reduces the body’s ability to fight the heat. Drinks with a high caffeine or sugar content are not good either, as they are diuretics. Instead, fresh fruit and vegetables are beneficial, and a dose of yoghurt produces the same hydration as a glass of water. Close windows while the sun is shining, draw the curtains and turn off appliances you don’t need. Avoid outdoor activities and keep in constant contact with neighbours, relatives, acquaintances who are elderly or disabled. Drivers are advised to check during this period of very high temperatures that tyre pressures are as recommended for the hot season, to avoid driving around midday as much as possible – when temperatures are high and to reduce speed where the tarmac looks darker or shiny in the sun light – as hot tarmac reduces grip and becomes extremely slippery.
Magda Baciu
