Radio România Internațional

Tag: 2018 state budget

  • December 19, 2017

    December 19, 2017

    JUSTICE LAWS – The Senate is today debating a bill on modifying the statute of judges and prosecutors. Adopted last week in the Chamber of Deputies, the bill on Monday got a positive opinion from Parliaments special committee on the justice laws, which analyzed the amendments tabled by senators. One of the main changes introduced by representatives of the ruling coalition allows the President to refuse only once to appoint certain prosecutors and compels him to motivate his refusal publicly. Another amendment provides for prosecutors decisions to be rescinded by their superiors if the latter deem them unlawful or ungrounded. Also today MPs continue debates over the second draft law on modifying the justice laws, the one focusing on judicial organization. On Monday Parliament debated the amendments tabled to the first articles in the law. Alternatively, hundreds of magistrates protested in front of courts of law in Bucharest and other cities against the judicial overhaul that the Social-Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats are planning, a process that magistrates say lacks transparency.



    BUDGET – The Romanian Parliament is debating the draft budget for 2018. Todays session is debating the addendums, after the body of the text and its articles was adopted on Monday, together with the funds allotted to the main credit release authorities: the Presidency, the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, and the Governments General Secretariat. A final vote has been scheduled for Thursday. Romanias budget for next year is based on an economic growth rate of 5.5%, an exchange rate of 4.55 lei against the euro, an average monthly income of €565 and a budget deficit of 2.97% of the GDP. The priorities for 2018 are healthcare, education and infrastructure. The right-wing opposition has criticized the Government, saying the budget projection is risky and will most likely increase public debt.



    COMMEMORATION – Commemorative events continue in Timisoara, western Romania, to mark 28 years since the 1989 anti-communist revolution and in memory of those who lost their lives. Events will continue until December 20, Victory Day, when Timisoara will play host to a rock concert. Started out as a grassroots movement against the local authorities abusive decisions, the revolution spread quickly across the country, and led to the demise of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu on December 22. Over 1,000 people were killed and nearly 3,400 were wounded over December 16-25. Romania was the only country from the Soviet bloc where the anti-communist revolution ended in violence with the dictatorial couple being executed. Prosecutors with the Military Prosecutors Office on Monday said a military diversion was orchestrated on the night of December 22, which led to a massive loss of lives and destruction.



    SURVEY – Over 85% of businesspeople in Romania are against the transfer of social security contributions from employers to employees, reads a recent survey commissioned by the Council of SMEs. 60% of respondents said they encountered serious difficulties in implementing and negotiating the move starting January 1, 2018. Ovidiu Nicolescu, the honorary president of the Council of SMEs, has warned that many net salaries will drop. The survey was conducted over December 12-18 with a sample population of 328 businesspeople.



    RWB – 65 journalists were killed in 2017 worldwide, of whom 50 professionals, 7 bloggers and 8 freelancers, reads the Reporters without Borders annual report, made public today. According to the report, 2017 was the less deadly in the last 14 years, which is mostly due to a better protection of reporters, and the fact that most journalists have already fled countries located in hot zones across the globe. Same as last year, Syria ranks first in terms of the largest number of journalists killed (12), followed by Mexico (11), Afghanistan (9), Iraq (8) and the Philippines (4).



    UN – The United States on Monday vetoed a UN draft resolution rejecting Donald Trumps recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. The text was voted by all the other 14 members of the Security Council. The resolution states that the status of Jerusalem must be solved via negotiations, and that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded. We recall that President Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel has prompted the unanimous opposition of the international community. Israel annexed the eastern part of Jerusalem after the 1967 war, then voted a law making the Holy City “indivisible. The annexation has never been recognized by the international community, and Palestine considers Eastern Jerusalem as the rightful capital of their future state.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • December 16, 2017 UPDATE

    December 16, 2017 UPDATE

    THE KING — The last king of Romania, Mihai I, on Saturday was interred at the royal necropolis in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, the resting place of his wife, Queen Ana and the other three kings of Romania. The king died on December 5 in Switzerland aged 96. Three days of national mourning have been declared in Romania, December 14 through 16. Tens of thousands of people this week have paid their respects to the King at the Royal Palace. The funeral started on Saturday with a religious service in the Throne Room at the Royal Palace, followed by a second one in the Royal Palace Square. The coffin was laid on a gun carriage pulled by a military vehicle and transported to the Orthodox Cathedral, where the last religious service in Bucharest was held. The coffin was then transported by train to Curtea de Arges, where the final interment service was officiated. Attending the funerals were representatives of European monarchies and scores of high-ranking officials.



    COMMEMORATION — Commemorative events were held in Timisoara to mark 28 years since the 1989 anti-communist revolution. The National Opera hosted a fine arts exhibition devoted to freedom, while two marches re-enacted the path the mass of revolutionaries took through the city, in memory of those who lost their lives. Religious ceremonies were held and floral tributes were paid to monuments devoted to the city’s heroes. Events will continue until December 20, Victory Day, when Timisoara will play host to a rock concert. Started out as a grassroots movement against the local authorities’ abusive decisions, the revolution spread quickly across the country, and led to the demise of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu on December 22. Over 1,000 people were killed and nearly 3,400 were wounded over December 16-25. Romania was the only country from the Soviet bloc where the anti-communist revolution ended in violence with the dictatorial couple being executed.



    BUDGET — Parliament’s joint budget and finance committees have adopted the state and social security budgets for next year. The state budget is based on an economic growth of 5.5%, an exchange rate of 4.55 lei against the euro and a monthly average income of some €570. The budget deficit is set at 2,97% of the GDP. On Monday, Parliament’s two chambers will debate the two bills in a joint plenary session, and a final vote on this matter has been scheduled for December 21.



    COMMITTEE — Parliament’s committee on the justice laws will convene on Monday to discuss amendments to the law package, which will be submitted to the Senate for debate, the decision-making body in this case. The amendments concern the status of magistrates and the laws on judicial organization and the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy. Also on Monday, the Committee will start debates to transpose into national law a European directive on the presumption of innocence.



    MEETING — Romania’s Minister for the Business Sector, Ilan Laufer and Romania’s Ambassador to Washington, George Cristian Maior, on Friday met with US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. The three officials discussed the remarkable evolution of the economic and trade partnership between Romania and the United States. According to a press release of the Romanian Embassy in Washington, the meeting occasioned a review of the highlights of this year, among which Romanian investment in the US, Romania hosting the Trade Winds mission forum, attended by over 100 US businesses, partnerships struck by the two countries’ defense sectors. The two delegations analyzed cooperation prospects over the coming period, with a focus on creating new business and investment opportunities that would bring benefits to both countries’ economies.



    VISIT — EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, will pay a two-day visit to Romania on Monday. Her agenda includes meetings with Prime Minister Mihai Tudose and several members of the Government. Corina Cretu will also attend the 2017 Structural Funds Gala. Prior to her visit Corina Cretu said Romania has made sustained efforts to implement programs funded with cohesion funds, but these efforts must continue, Corina Cretu said.



    MOLDOVA — The Parliament of Moldova on Friday voted the EU Memorandum on the €100-million aid package, to be disbursed in three instalments over the course of 2018. To access the funds, Moldova has to fulfil a set of 28 prerequisites regarding progress in implementing its agreement with the IMF. The requirements forwarded by the Commission are part of the Government’s agenda and part of them, required to disburse the first instalment, have already been met, Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu has said. One of the requirements provides for the adopting of a new law on the activity of the Court of Accounts and setting up an agency for processing notifications in the field of public procurement.



    ISRAEL — The White House will continue its efforts to relaunch the peacemaking process between Israel and Palestine, endangered by President Trujmp’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as capital of Israel, France Press reports. Diplomatic efforts will resume next week with a view to easing tensions that have been running high recently. Washington has sent Vice-President Mike Pence to Jerusalem, who will arrive on Wednesday. Most countries have condemned Donald Trump’s decision, which risks rekindling conflict in the Middle East.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • December 3, 2017 UPDATE

    December 3, 2017 UPDATE

    VISIT – Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor is paying a two-day official visit to Belgrade, starting Sunday, to meet with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vulin, the Romanian Defense Ministry announced. Talks will focus on regional security and on boosting bilateral cooperation in the field of defense. Chief of the Romanian Army’s General Staff, General Nicolae Ciuca, accompanies Minister Fifor in Belgrade.




    LAW — The law on the 2018 state budget will be debated by Romania’s Parliament this week. Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said that health, education and infrastructure are the centre of the 2018 state budget. He also mentioned that the 2% earmarked for defence would be maintained. Romania’s state budget for next year is built on a 5.5% economic growth rate, a budget deficit of 2.97% of the GDP and an average inflation rate of 3.1%.




    ORTHODOXY– Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting on Monday with the heads of the delegations of the Orthodox Churches who travelled to Moscow to attend festivities marking 100 years since the re-establishment of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who is heading the Romanian delegation, talked about reprisals against the Orthodox Church after the communists came to power. Patriarch Daniel mentioned three priorities of the Orthodox Church in today’s world, namely, preserving the Orthodox unity of faith, solidarity with the people who suffer and missionary cooperation.




    HOLIDAY — Romanians ended on Sunday their 4-day holiday occasioned by Saint Andrew’s Day and Romania’s National Day. For this extended weekend most Romanians chose local destinations, their favourites being the resorts on the Prahova Valley, the Southern Carpathians, Bukovina in the north as well as the spa resorts. Those who remained in Bucharest enjoyed, on Friday evening, the start of the winter celebrations. Over 3 million Christmas lights adorn the capital, the festive lighting system covering 33 kms. A Christmas Fair was also inaugurated in downtown Bucharest, to last until December 27. The Fair displays Romanian traditional food products in more than 100 stalls and also a skating rink. Many Romanian artists will perform as part of the Christmas Fair celebrations in Bucharest.




    WEIGHTLIFTING— The Romanian athlete Dumitru Captari has won silver in the snatch event, the 77 kg category, in the World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, California. Egyptian Mohamed Ihab Youssef Ahmed Mahmoud won gold in the same category. Romanias tally now stands at four medals, after the three won by Loredana Toma, in the 63 kg category.




    HANDBALL – The Romanian women’s handball team on Sunday scored its second victory in Group A of the World Women’s Handball Championship hosted by Germany, by defeating Slovenia, 31 to 28. On Saturday, the Romanians defeated 29-17 the team of Paraguay in their debut match. On Tuesday, in Group A, Romania will be up against Spain, Slovenia against Angola and France against Paraguay. In the previous World Championship of 2015 Romania won the bronze medal, being the only team to have participated in all the 22 editions of the championship held so far.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)