ECONOMIC GROWTH – The National Forecasting Committee has
revised again, upwards, the forecast regarding Romania’s economic growth in
2017, from 5.6 to 6.1%. The Committee has maintained the GDP growth estimates
for 2018, 2019 and 2020 at 5% every year. The International Monetary Fund has
too revised the forecast regarding the development of Romanian economy, from
4.2% to 5.5%. According to the IMF, Romania and Iceland will register the
highest economic growth rates this year. A similar estimate has been presented
by the World Bank. In another move, specialists draw attention to the fact that
Romania’s economic growth is mainly triggered by consumption, and that the
volume of public investment has dropped.
STRIKE
– State sector employees are the main victims of the political manipulation by
means of which the payment of social security contributions has become an
employee responsibility. This decision will actually annul the 25% salary
increase, turning it into a political scam, reads a communiqué issued by the
‘Solidaritea Sanitara’ (Solidarity for Health) Trade Union Federation.
According to the federation, a general strike in the budget sector would be a
normal sanction against the government, which is trying to impose an agenda
that runs counter to the commitments it had made to the employees. On Thursday,
another trade union federation, CNSLR Fratia, announced the start of procedures
for a national strike, also in response to the government’s decision regarding
social security contributions. This decision has been harshly criticised by
other unions, as well as by the president and the liberal opposition. In
response, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has stated that the measure will benefit
everybody.
EU
COUNCIL – The presidency of the EU Council, which Romania will be holding in
2019, will reflect the need for consensus, not political interests, said on
Thursday the Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu. He
attended the launch of the guide to the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council, a
document developed by the European Expertise Centre – Europuls. Victor Negrescu
has stated that currently there are some 1500 experts preparing for the future presidency. In another
development, the Minister Delegate for European Affairs will be in London for
two days to talk with representatives of the Romanian community about the
Brexit implications. The Foreign Affairs Ministry has launched an information
clip on this topic. According to the Ministry, there are 328,000 Romanians
living in Great Britain.
CATALONIA – On
Thursday, thousands of Catalans protested against the arrest of eight regional
ministers, sacked because of their involvement in the attempt to separate
Catalonia from Spain. They are accused of rebellion, revolt and embezzlement of
public funds. Prosecutors have requested a European arrest warrant for the
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who
is currently in Belgium. Last week, the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
imposed direct rule on Catalonia, dissolved the regional parliament and
announced local elections to be held on the 21st of December.
FOOTBALL – Romanian Vice-champions FCSB
(formerly known as Steaua Bucharest) has qualified to Europa League last 32
round, following the 1-1 result in Group G against Israeli football team Hapoel
Beer Sheva on Thursday evening in Bucharest. In the previous match, FCSB
defeated Hapoel 2-1 away from home. FCSB now has 10 points and heads the group.
Second comes Viktoria Plzen with 6 points, following the victory against FC
Lugano of Switzerland. FCSB will play in Group G two more matches against
Viktoria Plzen on November 23 away and against Lugano on December 7 at home.
HANDBALL – Romania’s women’s handball champions CSM Bucharest are
playing on Saturday, on home turf, against the Danish team Nykobing Falster
Handboldklub, its fourth match in Champions League’s group A. In other matches,
CSM has defeated the Slovenian team RK Krim Mercator Ljubliana and Vistal
Gdynia of Poland. In the rankings, the Romanians come first with 4 points, just
like the Danish, who come second. CSM Bucharest won the Champions League in
2016 and is one of the first seeds at the current edition of the most powerful
European inter-club competitions.