Three days of national mourning in Romania, in memory of King Mihai I
Romania declared on Thursday three days of national mourning in memory of King Mihai. The coffin of the former Romanian sovereign is laid in the Throne Hall of the Royal Palace in Bucharest, where it will remain until Saturday, when the funeral will take place. Dozens of people are waiting to enter the Royal Palace to pay tribute to his majesty, King Mihai I of Romania. At the palace fence, people leave candles and flower wreaths. Also, at the entrance of the Throne Hall, there is a book of condolences, where citizens can write their thoughts.
A special parliamentary commission will start on Monday the debate on the amendments to the legislative package on Romanian justice system
The special parliamentary commission headed by social-democrat deputy Florin Iordache, will meet on Monday to discuss the amendments to the law package on justice which addresses the status of magistrates, the laws on judicial organization and the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM). Members of the Commission will also start debating the transposition into national law of the European Directive on the Presumption of Innocence and the right to be present in criminal proceedings. The opposition requested the suspension of the hearing and the revision of the text of the directive, stating that it goes far beyond the scope of the directive and seriously affects the state’s criminal policy and the ability of its investigative bodies to fulfill their mission of combating crime, including corruption and organized crime . Commission President Florin Iordache rejected the opposition’s allegations. National Anticorruption Directorate considers also that proposals to amend the criminal legislation to be debated in the Special Parliamentary Committee would have a devastating effect on criminal investigations as it would remove the necessary legal instruments by which investigating bodies can investigate offenses. In a press release, DNA claims that the European directive invoked is used only as a pretext to remove the ability of criminal prosecution bodies to discover and prove crimes without the intended changes having any purpose linked to the presumption of innocence.
Romanian and Canadian military pilots take part in an Air Police exercise
Canadian and Romanian pilots, based at Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in Romania, participate Thursday in a joint airspace exercise. Canada’s Royal Air Force deployed at military air base Mihail Kogalniceanu, brought four CF-18 Hornet aircraft and around 135 people in September who participated, along with Romanians, in air space missions. The missions are part of NATO’s plan to reinforce deterrence on Alliance’s Eastern Flank. In the exercise, several MiG-21 LanceR and CF-18 Hornet planes armed with missiles are ready to intercept any unidentified airplanes approaching Romanian airspace. NATO missions like this increase the speed of response to growing security threats and challenges.
Magdalena Baciu, RADOR
