Romania’s new government gets to work
Romania’s new Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu met former Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş at the Victoria Palace in the capital Bucharest on Thursday. The meeting came while other ministers were expected to meet their subordinates for the first time. Some of the new ministers told Radio Romania about their plans.
„As you know too well, we have seven emerency documents to get approved by tomorrow: on minimum wage, on pensions and so on. So I really have a lot of work to do”, the new Labour Minister Olguţa Vasilescu told Radio Romania. Lia Olguţa Vasilescu, a former mayor of the Romanian southern town of Craiova, was allegedly involved in bribery, money laundring and other corruption-related crimes, according to a DNA probe last July, and her judicial status remains unclear.
The new Finance Minister Viorel Ştefan is expected to present the 2017 Budget while new Justice Minister Florin Iordache seemed determined to restore public confidence in the country’s judiciary. „The state of law, and the public trust in the judiciary – these are our priorities”, Mr. Iordache told reporters.
Romania’s Ombudsman before Constitutional Court
Romania’s Ombudsman appeared before the Constitutional Court on Thursday in order to challenge a law preventing people with a criminal record to get government positions. The Law 90/2001 actually violates articles in the country’s Constitution and international rules, Ombudsman Victor Ciorbea told reporters. The law was mentioned by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis when he rejected the potential nomination of Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD), for the position of prime minister. Mr. Dragnea was convicted last year for election fraud.
Romania under heavy snow
The south of Romania is expected to get under heavy snow and high winds between 10 PM on Thursday and 8 PM on Friday. Romania’s National Meteorology Administration (ANM) issued yellow codes for 15 counties in the southern regions of Oltenia, Muntenia and Dobrogea along with southern Moldavia and eastern Carpathian Mountains. The capital Bucharest and 11 south-eastern counties will face high winds of 70-85 km/hour. Another yellow code was issued between 8 PM on Friday and 10 AM on Saturday. Meteorologists have warned that the bitterly cold weather sweeping Romania may last until early next week with freezing teperatures between 15°C to 25°C.
Alexandru Danga
