Press Review - September 28, 2018

09.28.2018 By Oana Gavrila

Leu Loses Ground Vs Euro

The Romanian leu depreciated further against the euro Thursday, to a midday reference rate of 4.6647 lei/euro, down 0.09% from Wednesday's rate of  4.6605 lei/euro.

Thursday's reference rate was the lowest since June 25.

The leu also lost ground to the US dollar, standing at 3.9840 units Thursday compared with 3.9612 units Wednesday.

Andronescu Says Dragnea Offered Her Education Minister Position

Social democrat senator Ecaterina Andronescu said Thursday party leader Liviu Dragnea offered her the education minister position.

Education minister Valentin Popa announced his resignation on Thursday, following a discussion he had with Dragnea earlier in the day. He later said he resigned following controversy over a decree on teaching Romanian classes in minority schools.

Andronescu said Dragnea offered her the position three weeks before, a sign that Popa was on his way out. The proposal came after Andronescu publicly criticized Dragnea. She added she has neither accepted nor declined the position.

Dacian Ciolos Among Founders of New Pro-EU Progressives Party

Dacian Ciolos has joined a new pro-EU Progressives party initiated by the party of Emmanuel Macron and European Parliament ALDE group leader Guy Verhofstadt, newstandard.ro reported.

Ciolos, former prime minister and former European commissioner, is among the party founders. Other founders are Christophe Castaner, leader of Macron's party La Republique En Marche, Guy Verhofstadt, Matteo Renzi (Italy's former left-wing prime minister), Joseph Muscat (Malta's left-wing prime minister), Albert Rivera(leader of Spain's center-right party Ciudadanos), and Alexander Pechtold (head of D66, a center-left Dutch party).

Speaking at a party meeting in Paris, Castaner, who runs the centrist party formed by president Emmanuel Macron, said Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Italy’s Matteo Salvini and France’s Marine Le Pen were “demagogues” and “the enemies of Europe and the enemies of the people of Europe”.

“What are these arsonists playing at? Weakening the European Union is weakening all of the countries in Europe. We must refound Europe in order to relaunch the European project, which is being threatened by the emergence of nationalism,” he said.

Tariceanu Warns Dragnea He Needs ALDE to Govern

Calin Popescu Tariceanu warned Liviu Dragnea he needs both parties in the coalition to keep the majority and govern, after Dragnea said the justice ministry is a position belonging to social democrats.

Dragnea launched an attack on coalition partners ALDE on Thursday, stating that the justice ministry currently led by ALDE-backed Tudorel Toader belongs to his party, which will also decide if he remains or not in office.

Tariceanu confirmed the justice minister position belongs to social democrats as per coalition negotiations, but added neither coalition party can govern without the other.

New Swine Fever Outbreak in Eastern Romania

A new swine fever outbreak has been confirmed in Galati county, eastern Romania, at a farm just outside the city, where a wild boar was found dead three weeks ago.

Authorities said all 34 pigs at the farm would be culled. Nearly 300 animals were culled in Galati county so far in an effort to contain the swine fever epidemic.