MAY DAY – The Romanian Black Sea coast was the favorite destination
of Romanians for the May Day mini-holiday celebrating Labor Day. Over 75,000
tourists celebrated this holiday on the seacoast, also attending various music
and gastronomy festivals in the resorts of Costinești, Mamaia, Constanța or
Vama Veche. Music festivals are scheduled to end on May 3. Many Romanians also
chose to spend the holiday on Prahova Valley or in the Danube Delta, spending
their time outdoors for picnics or barbecues. Over 400 festivals, concerts,
trade fairs and sports competitions took place over the May Day long weekend
across the country. The Interior Ministry mobilized some 24,000 police
officers, gendarmes and firefighters across the country to prevent and combat
crime, fluidize road traffic and reduce waiting times at border checkpoints as
well as to ensure order and safety in various public events. The Border Police
also took measures to optimize customs procedures and reduce waiting times, with
a focus on crossing points on the Hungarian and Bulgarian borders.
EXHIBITION – The Communism Remembrance Museum in Brașov (central
Romania) is hosting the temporary exhibition dubbed May 1 – A Workers’
Holiday. The exhibition displays a collection of photos and items recalling
the way Labor Day used to be celebrated in the past, when it was one of the
major holidays marked by communist authorities. Images capture snapshots of
parades, pageants as well as the crowds attending the events marking this
holiday prior to 1989. Also on show are various banners displayed by workers
during these rallies. Organizers want the exhibition to make a thought-provoking
comparison with the way May 1 is celebrated today, when Romanians usually relax
outdoors alongside their families and friends. The temporary exhibition stays
open until May 31.
ASSISTANCE – Starting May 1 the government in Bucharest has changed
the manner of providing financial assistance to Ukrainian refugees. Under the
new regulations, the money will be wired to refugees directly instead of the
families hosting them. The refugees will benefit from unconditional support for
a month, while over the next three months they will have to find employment and
enroll their children in schooling units, if they want to remain eligible for
assistance starting the fifth month.
MILK – Shelf prices for milk are expected to drop by 20% starting
May 1, according to an agreement stipulating that processors and traders must
apply a 10% reduction each if the price exceeds €1.4 per liter. The agreement
will remain in place for the next six months, while all large trade networks
have agreed to sign. However, it may take a few months before the measure is
applied in all stores. Competition Council president Bogdan Chirițoiu said
contracts must be renegotiated with each producer while existing stocks must
first be depleted.
HANDBALL – The Romanian men’s handball team has secured
qualification to the EHF EURO 2024 European Championship despite losing to
Ukraine 31-26 on Sunday in Germany in the final match of the Group 4
preliminaries. Romania last qualified to the European championship in 1996. In
the other group fixture, Austria defeated the Faeroe Islands. Austria ranked
first in the group tables, followed by Romania, the Faeroe Islands and Ukraine.
The top two teams in each preliminary group qualify to the final tournament,
alongside four of the third best-place teams. The 2024 European Championship
will be hosted by Germany over January 10 – 28, 2024. In news from women’s
handball, both Rapid Bucharest and CSM Bucharest lost in the first leg of the
Champions League quarterfinals. (VP)