Economic
growth. The World Bank has improved its forecast with regard to Romania’s
economic growth rate in 2016 to 5.1% from a previous June estimate of 4%,
according to its economic report for Europe and Central Asia published today.
The World Bank warns, however, that the growth seen by the Romanian economy
this year will slow down to 3.8% in 2017 and 3.4% in 2018. The consolidated
budget deficit is expected to grow, nearing 3% of the GDP, both in 2016 and
2017, from 1.5% in 2015, which will lead to an increase in public debt. The
Romanian government will have to keep in check current spending pressures and
improve tax efficiency to prevent the activation of the excessive deficit
procedure. The International Monetary Fund has also recently estimated that
Romania will see the highest economic growth rate in Europe, with 5%, followed
by Ireland with 4.9%. At the beginning of the month, the European Commission
revised its economic growth forecast for the Romanian economy this year up to
5.2%.
Protests. Public employees from around the country have
staged protests today demanding salary rises. They are unhappy that a
government ordinance on a unitary salary scheme for the public sector has not
been implemented and warn this is only the first step before an all-out strike.
Police officers have also taken to the street to protest against the pension law,
while the members of the Sanitas trade union have picketed the headquarters of
the healthcare ministry in solidarity with their colleagues negotiating the
collective employment contract.
Anticorruption. The permanent bureau of the
Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest today discusses a request by the National
Anticorruption Directorate to begin criminal investigations against MP Eugen
Bejinariu as part of the Microsoft 2 case. Bejinariu served as a government
secretary general in the 2003-2004 period and is investigated for aggravated
abuse of office at the time. The Microsoft 2 case, which led to losses of tens
of millions of euros, refers to the rental of licences for schools starting in
2004.
Visit.
Romania’s foreign minister Lazar Comanescu is in Rome for talks with his
Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni about the future of Europe after Brexit,
migration, the enlargement of the European Union and the Western Balkans. Also
today, Comanescu makes a visit to the Vatican and meets Romanian youth studying
in Rome.
Military drills.
30 military from the Romanian Land Forces are taking part in the Iron Sword 16
multinational exercise under way in Lithuania starting today until the 3rd
of December. Around 2,000 troops from Canada, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania,
Latvia, the UK, Poland, Romania and the US will be carrying out tactical drills
involving all types of weapons and using NATO techniques, tactics and
procedures. Iron Sword 16 forms part of the Black Sea Rotational Force 16
multinational exercise and aims to increase the level of interoperability
through joint training with a view to taking part in peace keeping and
counter-insurgence operations.
Defence industry law. Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis
has signed a decree to promulgate the law regulating the national defence
industry that was passed last month by the Senate, the decision-making body in
this case. The law regulates the organisation of the defence sector into
different strategic areas, aiming to enhance its competitiveness and diversify
its products, as well as the sector’s participation in European defence
industry activities.
Warning.
The US State Department on Monday warned American citizens of increased danger
of terrorist attacks in Europe over the winter holidays. The State Department
said there is credible information indicating that terrorist organisations
such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda and their affiliates continue to plan
such attacks. The travel alert issued by Washington also recalls the terrorist
attacks committed this year in Belgium, France, Germany and Turkey.
Medal.
After 8 years, the Romanian wrestler Gheorghita Stefan will receive the bronze
medal for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, as the Uzbekistan wrestler Soslan
Tigiev, who had defeated him, was stripped of his medal, having failed a drug
test, the International Wrestling Federation has announced. Stefan was defeated
by Tigiev in the eighthfinals of the 74 kg category in the men’s freestyle
wrestling and again by the Belarussian wrestler Murad Gaidarov in the fight for
the bronze medal. According to the new ranking, the Russian wrestler Buvaisar
Saitiev keeps his gold medal, Gaidarov wins the silver, while the Romanian
wrestler Gheorghita Stefan and the Bulgarian wrestler Kiril Terziev win the
bronze. Romania’s medal tally for the Beijing Games now numbers 4 gold medals,
1 silver and 4 bronze. (Trans. by: C. Mateescu)