THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: FEB 26 - MAR 02
Monday, Feb 26
Moldova Republic President Talks About Romania's Moldavian Territories
Vladimir Vornonin, president of the Moldova Republic thinks that the Moldovian part of Romania is actually an “ethnically discriminated group”. Moldova Republic’s President accuses Bucharest of intolerance towards the “Moldavian ethnic minority” composed of ten million people.
“In Romania, the list of allowed ethnical groups is strictly limited. Moldovians are not numbered in the Government’s statements. This right should be legalized. There are ten million Moldavians living in Romania”, Voronin said.
Historically Moldova Republic was formed after World War Two after being annexed by the Soviet Union from Romania.
PNG Leader Eyes Tractorul Brasov Factory
Possible future buyers of Tractorul factory ask for Government guarantees, in considering purchase. Gigi Becali(leader of non-parliamentary PNG Party), Paunescu brothers, Atlassib si Mahindra&Mahindra are interested in buying Tractorul Brasov assets, after the company will be shut down, said Teodor Atanasiu, director of State Assets Resolution Authority or AVAS.
According to Atanasiu, Indian carmaker Mahindra& Mahindra is currently interested in purchasing the Tractorul production line , next to other companies in the Netherlands or Italy.
Sources close to the deal confirmed the Romanian investors's interests in the matter. However, none of them confirmed their interest yet.
Tuesday, Feb 27
Romanian Immigrant Wins Miss Belgian Beauty 2007
Anne Marie Ilie won the title as most beautiful Belgian woman of 2007. In 2003 Anne-Marie also won the Miss Mol Title and in 2006 she decided to take part in a national beauty pageant.
Miss Belgian Beauty started out with 250 candidates, and only 20 reached the final stages. After six months in which the competitors had to promote themselves, the Romanian student won the contest.
Anne-Marie, a third year law student at the Louvain University, said she is extremely happy to have won the contest that will introduce her in Belgian social world and allow her to travel.
Marie, aged 21, reached Belgium in 1990 when she was only 6 years old with her parents and her little sister, Anya. The family is from Brasov city in Western Romania .
The President, In Open Conflict With The Parliament
Romania’s President said that the MPs delay procedures of organizing referendum on uninominal vote.
President Traian Basescu said that he has the feeling ‘”the Parliament sometimes acts above the law and the Constitution ". e added that the MPs should consider his request on the uninominal vote referendum a priority
"It is no longer an issue of observing the Constitution stipulations that a message from the President should be considered a priority, it is a matter of respecting the electorate ", Basescu also said .
He openly admitted he is in conflict with the Parliament but he says he does not understand how or why the conflict started.
Wednesday, Feb 28
MPs To Debate Dismissing The President
However, Romania’s President, Traian Basescu declined the invitation to take part in the debates, as he headed for the Government session . The Parliament’s two chambers reunited today in a common sentence to rule on the motion on dismissing President Basescu, initiated by 182 opposition MPs.
PNL dignitaries will wear a bow-tie as a sign of protest to Basescu’s known hatred of bow-ties.
The President said at the start of the Government session that he is not happy with Romania not observing some of its foreign engagements and some internal problems, referring to a file he received in the context of a visit to China.
Romanian Students Teenagers Quit High School To Work In Spain
Tens of high school teenagers in Romania quit school abandon their studies a few months before graduating, to work in Spain.
A high paid job is as luring as it gets for young Romanian teenagers close to graduation. Tens of students from Romania’s eastern side left for work in Italy or Spain although they were close to finishing high school.
Their departure led to closing down certain school units. Representatives of schools with problems attempted to convince the pupils to stay, but to no effect.
“Most of them told us they leave to work in Spain” a school manager said.
Thursday, Mar 01
MPs Found Committee On Inquiring The President's Activity
Liberal and opposition MPs founded a Committee to inquire the President’s activities. Former proven Communist collaborator, leader of the PC party, Dan Voiculescu will lead the Committee. The MPs united against the President yesterday. With 258 pros , 71 cons and 21 abstentions decided to establish a Parliamentary Committee to investigate the President’s so-called unconstitutional acts.
The Committee will be led by Conservative Party leader Dan Voiculescu, a known enemy of president Basescu.
Besides harassing Basescu, the Committee will manage the procedures regarding dismissing the President in order not to interfere with the schedule of euro-elections.
Romanian Government Encourages Citizens To Come Back In The Country
The Government decided yesterday to found a Committee that could attract the home the people who left Romania to work abroad. PM Calin Popescu-Tariceanu decided, in the Government session yesterday that an inter-ministerial work group should be established that would apply a set of measures designed to encourage people working outside Romania to come back into the country .
The Government will evaluate the situation of Romanian citizens working abroad, establish how many they are, their structure based on field of work, labor and accommodation conditions.
At the same time it would evaluate the earnings and the benefits that come with the salary pack.
Friday, Feb Mar 02
Romania Faces Labor Force Crisis
Until authorities can convince citizens working abroad to come back home, Romania faces a crisis on the labor market. Many Romanian workers left to country to work abroad living the country in a state of crisis as regards labor force.
Authorities are trying to figure out ways to replace the deficit that currently is on the Romanian labor market.
Some say that Romanian peasants could be used after re-qualifying them for certain positions, others consider using people serving time for various crimes while employers try to avoid Turks Ukrainians or Chinese.
This year, the Labor Ministry considers including on the labor market the vulnerable social groups like the Roma ethnics , the disabled people freshly out of detention immigrants and refugees.
Two Out Of Three Romanians Would Vote With The President
According to an IMAS opinion poll, 65% of Romanians would vote against the dismissal of Romania’s President, Traian Basescu.
The poll that was published yesterday reveals that only 19% would vote for dismissing the chief of state and 12% would not show up for the referendum.
The sociological study was carried out between Feb 8-14, on a group of 1,243 and has 2.9% a margin of euro.
The poll contains questions related to the dismissal procedures initiated by opposition party or PSD, indicating the fact that 90% of the interviewees heard of the opposition’s proposition .
Also, 73% of the respondents think that PSD should not initiate the procedures and 19% approve the opposition’s initiative while 8% did not say anything .
50% of Romanians think the MPs will dismiss Traian Basescu