Press Review - October 28, 2015

10.28.2015 By Gabriela Stan

PNL Submits Simple Motion Against Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea

The National Liberal Party on Tuesday submitted a simple motion against Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea, over the scandal caused by the death of police officer Bogdan Gigina.

The motion, entitled “Gabriel Oprea, dismissed for defiance, arrogance, abuse and contempt while exercising a public office” is signed by 49 Liberal and independent senators.

“This political gesture of the PNL parliamentary group was the result of the public opinion’s particular focus on the rude, continuous abuses that this high official of the Romanian state has been committing lately, which ended in the death of a police officer participating in his motorcade, in our opinion, illegally,” said deputy leader of the PNL senators, Octavian Motoc.

Senate chairman Calin Popescu-Tariceanu will decide on the date when the motion is debated and voted. (Romania Libera)

Romanian Meat Association Criticizes WHO Report On Red Processed Meat

According to the Romanian Meat Association (ARC), the report of World Health Organization (WHO) according to which processed meat could cause cancer was “thrown out on the market indiscriminately and without scientific accuracy”.

“We express our indignation against the easiness of throwing these studies on the market, indiscriminately and without scientific accuracy. As for the Romanian consumer, spreading such alarmist information is only bringing confusing on a food market which it is already impacted by unfair competition coming from tax evaders,” ARC president Radu Timis said in a statement.

Nevertheless, ARC agrees with the fact that that consumption of poor quality meat, improperly stored meat, and meat with unauthorized food additives is harmful to the health of the consumer. (Romania Libera)

Postal Voting To Be Applied Only For Parliamentary Elections

The postal voting procedure will only be applied for parliamentary elections, the Electoral Code Commission decided Tuesday, at the proposal of PSD, which also eliminated the option of online registration in the Electoral Registry for voting by correspondence.

According to the draft law previously adopted by the Senate, correspondence vote was also available for presidential and European Parliament elections, but PSD representatives proposed its availability only for parliamentary elections.

The head of the Commission, Gabriel Vlase (PSD), proposed that the correspondence vote should only be available for parliamentary elections, saying that they have enough time to decide until the presidential and European Parliament elections. (Adevarul)

MEP Monica Macovei Joins European Conservatives And Reformists Group

Romanian MEP Monica Macovei announced Tuesday she will leave the European People's Party group (EPP) and will join the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), adding she will make a statement in this respect in the plenum of the European Parliament.

According to a press release, M10 party led by Monica Macovei filed a request for joining the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR), which has 72 members in 15 countries and is the third biggest group in the European Parliament.

“I want Romania to remain in the EU and the European Union to remain strong and united, and have a security policy that would protect us, the Romanians and the countries in the former communist bloc. (...) I made this decision to contribute to the strengthening of the democracy in our country, to the strengthening of Romania’s role in the EU and to the country’s security and independence in the context of control and expansion tendency of the Russian Federation,” Macovei stated. (Puterea)

Salary Law For Public Sector Employees Could Be Fully Applied In Minimum Four Year, In Tranches

Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici said Tuesday, after the government session, that the salary law for public sector employees could be applied in minimum four year, in tranches.

Asked by reporters whether the first tranche of salary increase for public sector employees would be of 10%, Teodorovici said they don’t know yet, as they have to decide based on the 2016 budget.

"We have initially said the law would be fully implemented in minimum four years as it has a strong impact," Teodorovici said.  (Puterea)