Romania has a new government starting Monday, headed by Social Democrat Victor Ponta. Validated by a convincing majority in Parliament, 284 votes, the cabinet put together by the Social Liberal Union, a coalition made up of the Social Democratic, the National Liberal and the Conservative parties, replaced the Ungureanu government, supported by the Liberal Democrats, Ethnic Hungarian Union, and the Union for the Progress of Romania. The government was deposed a mere two months into its term, by a vote of no confidence. The priorities of the new cabinet include depoliticizing public administration, creating jobs, fulfilling foreign commitments and zero tolerance for corruption. In its first meeting, the government mainly discussed restoring public salaries to the level they reached before the 25% cut in 2010, but also returning the parts of pensions that were illegally retained. Both promises made by the Social Liberal Union were on the agenda during talks with the IMF, World Bank and European Commission delegation. The head of the IMF delegation, Jeffrey Franks, said that salaries would be raised by 8% in June, and that a second increase would be operated in January 2013. The Ponta cabinet, however, is determined to operate the second increase at the end of this year. On the other hand, starting in June pensioners are to receive by monthly installments, the healthcare contributions that were taken out of their pensions without justification. The IMF recommended that the new government pursue a prudent fiscal policy and increase investments in the public sector.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta goes on his first visit to Brussels in his new position

Victor Ponta, in his new position as prime minister, went to Brussels and met the secretary general of the North Atlantic Alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He said that Romania is sticking to its commitments as a NATO member, including those regarding operations in Afghanistan. As part of his first talks with high EU and NATO officials, Victor Ponta met the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz. Ponta said that judicial reform is a priority for his cabinet, and that he would make every effort to see through Romania’s accession to Schengen. Martin Schulz said that he appreciated Romania’s efforts to meet the technical criteria for joining the free movement zone, and that he trusted the new government to continue economic and judicial reforms.

The Romanian Senate passes a bill introducing the one-round uninominal vote

The bill on the uninominal vote is now in the lower chamber of the Romanian Parliament after passing Senate. If it passes the second chamber, in the elections scheduled for this autumn the winner will be declared the candidate who gets the most votes in a given constituency. Introduced in 2008, the present voting system is the mixed kind, combining uninominal with proportional representation elements. It was criticized because it allowed candidates who came out second or third place in their constituencies to get to Parliament. The Social Democrats and the National Liberals, who advocate the new system, believe that this type of election would create more responsibility on the part of politicians in relation to the voters, and would grant them more legitimacy. The Liberal Democratic Party, the main party in the opposition, abstained from voting because it believes the uninominal vote eliminates proportional representation for political parties, which is the basis of any democratic election system. The Union of Ethnic Hungarians, also in the opposition, is against the project and pleads in favor of proportional voting.

The campaign for local elections scheduled for June 10 has kicked off in Romania

According to new election regulations, mayors will be elected in one round, even if they don’t meet absolute majority. The favorite in the polls is the Social Liberal Union, which has recently taken over the executive branch. The Union will promote common candidates for mayor, local councils and county councils. The Social Liberals support independent Sorin Oprescu for general mayor of Bucharest, and has its own candidates for sector mayors. After three and a half years in government, during which their popularity plummeted, the Liberal Democratic Party, which led the coalition formerly in power, has to pass a major test ahead of the general elections in autumn. The party lost a lot of mayors, which defected to the Social Liberal Union side. The last important actor in the economy of elections is the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, which was part of the former governing coalition. The Union now has to contend with two other ethnic parties, with more radical views, for the votes of ethnic Hungarians.

Atletico Madrid won the Europa League final in Bucharest

On Wednesday Bucharest hosted the Europa League final. Two Spanish teams competed, and of the two, it was Atletico Madrid that won against Athletic Bilbao. Colombian striker Falcao, who scored twice, carried the day. The match, considered to be the most important sporting event ever hosted by Romania, was broadcast in over 130 countries. 52 thousand fans were there to watch as Atletico Madrid grabbed the Europa League title for the second time in its history, the first time being in 2010. Among the football fans in the National Arena stands, Romania’s newest and largest stadium, were many foreign personalities, including UEFA president and former football star Michel Platini, as well as Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the crown prince of Spain, and the mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella. Around 30,000 Spanish fans practically took over the Romanian capital in their enthusiasm for the game. They delighted in eating Romanian traditional food, such as the famous grilled skinless sausages, drank local brews and chanted, confessing that they discovered Bucharest was a pleasant place, one which thus far they didn’t know much about.