Election campaigns in the run-up to Sunday’s local elections are gradually coming to a close. Over 18 million Romanians are expected to hit the polls on June 10th in order to elect the new local public authorities. The vote can be cast only in the towns and villages of residence, based on the voter’s ID card. The ballot also marks a premiere for Romania: local mayors will emerge victorious from the very first round of elections, and so will county council presidents. The candidate to grab the highest number of votes will win the elections. In case of a tie vote, a second ballot serving as tiebreaker will be organized two weeks later. Over 280,000 citizens are running for over 45,000 local seats. Officials have reported over 2,000 offences throughout the election campaign, of which half were indictable.

Decisions and estimates in the financial sector

The Romanian Government has decided to cut public expenditure by 30% because, as Prime Minister Victor Ponta has stated, there are many areas to save money. Therefore, public institutions, public utilities and state-owned companies will no longer be allowed to hire legal advisors if they have their own specialized staff. The government has also decided to set some limits as regards trips abroad, public procurement and all sorts of official entertainment expenses. Finance Minister Florin Georgescu has said the Euro will not reach 5 RON this year, if the situation in Greece further deteriorates, as indicated by some estimates. The minister confirms the estimates of the National Prognosis Commission, as well as the statements made by the Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu. Florin Georgescu has also stated that the Romanian currency has depreciated less than other currencies in the region, and has given assurances that Romania’s macro-economic foundation is healthy.

Developments in diplomatic ties between Romania and Syria

Romanian President Traian Basescu has rejected the proposal set forth by the Romanian Foreign Ministry that Syria’s Ambassador to Bucharest be declared ‘persona non grata’ and Romania’s ambassador to Damascus recalled for consultations. The measure was envisaged as a sign of protest against the massacres committed in the Syrian town of Houla. According to presidential advisor Cristian Diaconescu, Basescu argued that the 14,000 Romanians currently living in Syria must be represented and protected, against a potential reprisal by Syrian authorities The heads of the Syrian diplomatic missions in Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain were expelled last week, following recent violence in Syria. Similar measures were taken by the US, Australia and Switzerland.

A reform of the Schengen Treaty is passed

The EU Interior Ministers have passed a controversial reform of the Schengen Treaty, meant to protect Europe against illegal immigration. These changes allow for the reintroduction of control on internal borders for six months or even a year. The decision triggered protests by the European Parliament, which feels itself excluded from the decisions that regard European citizens directly. In a communiqué issued after the meeting with the leaders of the main political groups, the European Parliament President Martin Schultz spoke about a unilateral and counterproductive attitude of the interior ministers, which is actually a step in the wrong direction for the Schengen area. He also said that free movement in the Schengen area was one of the fundamental principles of the EU, and not one that member states can use at their own discretion. In the beginning, Romania opposed the modification of the legal base of the Schengen assessment mechanism, a stand shared by Belgium and Luxembourg, alongside the European Commission. Eventually, however, Romania joined the other member states, convinced by the compromise solution put forth by the Danish presidency during the talks.

The Transylvania International Film Festival is underway

Until June 10th, the city of Cluj, in central Romania, is hosting the 11th Transylvania Film Festival, the most important such event organized in Romania every year. The competition is traditionally devoted to directors that have made just one or two feature films. This year, there are 12 films competing for the festival’s Transylvania Trophy, from Iceland, Norway, the US, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel, Austria, Canada, Russia, Chile and Romania. More than 240 films from 46 countries will be screened in the 10 days of the festival, which this year will grant the Lifetime Achievement Awards to French director Claude Lelouch and American actress Geraldine Chaplin.