December 5, 2013 UPDATE
A roundup of news from Romania
România Internațional, 05.12.2013, 18:09
CHISINAU– The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova on Thursday recognized the Romanian language as official language in that country. The Court decided that the text of the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldova of 1991, which stipulates that the country’s state language is the Romanian language prevails over the provisions of the Constitution adopted in 1994 according to which the official language was the Moldovan language. The phrase Moldovan language was promoted by the Soviet regime and also after the dismantling of the USSR by the supporters of the Moldovan current. In Bucharest the Romanian President Traian Baseascu considered the decision of the Moldovan Constitutional Court an act of justice that puts an end to attempts to mystify cultural and historical truths. The Romanian PM also hailed the Moldovan Constitutional Court’s decision.
BRUSSELS — Romania and Bulgaria presented a political declaration on Thursday at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels in which they express their disappointment with the failure to make a decision on their Schengen accession, claiming that there is no legal, concrete reason for a new postponement. According to a Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué Romania and Bulgaria reiterated that they complied with all criteria of the Schengen acquis, a reality that was admitted by all member states. Scheduled for March 2011 the two countries’ Schengen accession was repeatedly postponed due to opposition by several EU members, which denounced the corruption in Romania and the lack of concrete measures against organized crime in Bulgaria. On the other hand fighting terrorism, the free movement of people as well as the situation in the Schengen area are other issues being discussed in Brussels Thursday and Friday at the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council.
COOPERATION — The president of the Romanian Senate, Crin Antonescu, reiterated in Chisinau, Romania’s support for Moldova’s European integration. The Romanian official met with the Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti and with PM Iurie Leanca. The visit takes place against the backdrop of Moldova’s initialing the association agreement with the EU. In another development, the Communist pro-Russian opposition in the Moldovan Parliament filed a censure motion against the pro-western government, which they accuse of treason against the state’s interests. The Communists accuse the government of having secretly negotiating the signing of the agreement without having the approval of Parliament.
OSCE – At the OSCE summit in Kiev, the Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean expressed Bucharest’s concern with the use of force against the peaceful protesters Ukraine, adding that Romania encourages the intensification of efforts for working out a peaceful political solution of the situation. The Romanian official also expressed his conviction that the future of Ukraine, Romania’s neighbor and friend, is strongly related to the EU. Almost all the western foreign ministers attending the summit supported Ukraine’s EU integration, condemned the use of violence against protesters and called for the observance of human rights in that country.
STRIKE– The Romanian workers in transportation announced they would go on strike on December 9th, claiming that the Ministry of Transportation did not observe their commitments in improving the legislation governing their activity, according to their union confederation. Transporters also protest a measure to make fuel more expensive by raising excises and by introducing a new tax on all fuels.
