March 31, 2014
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Mihai Pelin, 31.03.2014, 12:00
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said the government would return four out of the seven eurocents to freight haulers, a sum which is to be added to the fuel excise as of April 1st. In this way Romanian freight haulers will remain competitive just like their European counterparts. However, the National Trade Union of Road Transporters wants that passenger carriers may also benefit from this measure, otherwise passengers will be facing increased transport fees.
The socialist power in France on Sunday was dealt a heavy blow in the second round of the local election, after many cities it used to control had been taken over by the right-wing opposition and the far-right National Front. According to France Press, the left wing is still represented at the Paris city hall, whose seat will be occupied by Anne Hidalgo, the first woman to rule the capital of France. Under these circumstances, president Francois Hollande, whose popularity is at an all time low is pressed to make a reshuffle, which might force him to break up with Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, France Press reports.
Turkish Premier Recep Erdogan has proclaimed his victory in the municipal election on Sunday and has cautioned his opponents that he will make them pay for the criticism and accusations they leveled against him in the past few months, France Press reports. After 95% of the votes have been counted, Erdogan’s AKP party ranks first with 45%, while its main opponent the center-left Republican People’s Party CEF has mustered only 28.5% of the votes. The local elections have been considered a major test for Prime Minister Erdogan, who has been ruling Turkey for the past 12 years, before the presidential election in August. For the past three months Erdogan and his associates have been facing severe graft allegations.
Romanian president Traian Basescu, two other presidents of post communist Romania, Ion Iliescu and Emil Constantinescu as well as high officials from Bucharest have today participated in a ceremony aimed at marking 10 years since Romania became a fully-fledged NATO member. Nato Secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmusen has conveyed a message of congratulations adding the event is also important not only for Romania but also for the entire alliance. The NATO official also said that the alliance is ready and has an unflinching committment to defending its members in a period of challenges for regional security. On March 29th 2004 Romania submitted in Washington the instrument for the ratification of the Protocol of joining the North Atlantic Alliance. On April 2nd Romania participated in the ceremony of raising its flag in front of NATO’s headquarters in Brussels.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday arrived in Simferopol, capital of the Crimean Peninsula in the first visit of a high-ranking Russian official following the annexation of this Ukrainian territory. According to international press agencies Medvedev’s visit comes a day after the discussions between US state secretary John Kerry and Russian Foreign minister Serghei Lavrov have reached a deadlock. The United States wants Russia to pull out its troops deployed at the border with Ukraine, accept a direct dialogue with the authorities in Kiev as well as the result of the presidential election in Ukraine, due on May 25th. In turn, Russia proposes the federalization of Ukraine, an idea vehemently rejected by the authorities in Kiev.
Romanian soldier Claudiu Constantin Vulpoiu 41, killed in action in Afghanistan on Sunday, has been posthumously appointed second lieutenant by order from Defence Minister Mircea Dusa. Claudiu Constantin had also participated in six other missions abroad, in Afghanistan and Iraq. Five other Romanian soldiers were wounded in the blast of an improvised explosive device on Sunday. The six were on a joint patrol mission with the Afghan security forces on the highway between Kabul and Kandahar. Romania has so far lost 26 soldiers in foreign operation theatres. We recall that 1050 Romanian soldiers are still deployed to Afghanistan.
Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean is in Chishinau to participate with his Moldovan counterpart Natalia Gherman in the works of the intergovernmental Committee Romania – the Republic of Moldova for European Integration. High on the agenda are Moldova’s priorities for European integration, with emphasis on implementing the association accord, including the Free trade EU-Republic of Moldova agreement. In Chisinau Foreign Minister Corlatean will have talks with president Nicolae Timofti and Prime Minister Iurie Leanca.
