Radio România Internațional

Tag: National Statistics Institute

  • January 14, 2025

    January 14, 2025

    MEETING – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is today meeting James O’Brien, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. On Monday, the US official visited Moldova, where he said that the development of transport infrastructure of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine will create development opportunities for the three states. On the sidelines of the QUINT ministerial meeting, Secretary O’Brien said that Russia’s attacks on Ukraine were designed to “devastate the economy of the region”. Attending the event in Chișinău were also the deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development in Moldova, Vladimir Bolea, Romania’s Transport Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, deputy Minister for the Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine, Serhiy Derkach, as well as the head of the EU Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, Magda Kopczynska.

     

    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate went up to 5.14% in December 2024 from 5.11% the previous month, amidst a 5.09% increase in the price of foodstuffs, 4.38% in the price for non-food products and 7.10% in the cost of services, according to National Statistics Institute data made public today. Compared to 2023, the annual inflation rate in December last year stood at 5.5%. The National Bank of Romania upgraded its inflation forecast for the end of 2024, from 4% previously to 4.9%, and estimates the inflation rate will go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025.

     

    SPENDING – Household spending went up in the third quarter of 2024. From the average income of roughly 1,650 EUR of a household, over three quarters are spent on taxes, food and utilities.  Conversely, spending for education and investments remains really low.

     

    CONVICTION – US president elect Donald Trump would have been convicted for his attempt to influence the result of the 2020 presidential election had he not won the 2024 ballot, a report drawn by Special Counsel Jack Smith made public by the Justice Department shows. According to the report, Trump was involved in an “unprecedented criminal effort” “to overturn the legitimate results of the election in order to retain power” in 2020. Donald Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20, was the target of a criminal investigation into the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol, when a crowd of supporters of Trump protested in Washington against Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election. Special Counsel Jack Smith left the Justice Department last week, a few days after submitting his final report. Trump and another two individuals were suspected of having tried to prevent the report from being published, but the court ruled against their request.

     

    NATO – Europe cannot afford to suspend its defense cooperation with the United States, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said. He explained that, without the United States, the EU would have to increase its defense spending four times, while military security would only be achieved some 15 years later. The NATO official urged EU lawmakers to stop considering the autonomy of the community bloc and instead come up with ways of cooperating more closely with the US on military spending and avoid a media war regarding the introduction of new taxes. To increase the share of national arms industries on global markets, Mark Rutte wants to increase defense spending, considering that the current reference level, 2% of the GDP, seems insufficient in the context of the war in Ukraine.

     

    CULTURE DAY – Employees of cultural institutions in Romania are expected to stay protests tomorrow on National Culture Day, demanding the payment of extra hours and a bonus for working weekends, equal pay for all employees in the sector as well as lifting the hiring freeze. National Culture Day will be celebrated in Romania, the Republic of Moldova as well as in Romanian communities abroad, this year marking 175 years since the birth of Romania’s greatest poet, Mihai Eminescu.

     

    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse ousted another Romanian player, Irina Begu, 6-4, 6-0 in the opening round at the Australian Open on Tuesday. In the next round, Ruse will take on Madison Keys of the United States, who knocked out Ann Li of the USA in the first round. This is the second time Gabriela Ruse reaches the main draw in Melbourne after 2022. Another Romanian player, Jaqueline Cristian, is playing Lucia Bronzetti of Italy in the second round. (VP)

  • November 12, 2024

    November 12, 2024

    VISIT – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is paying an official visit to the UK on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he is expected to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and the Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King. According to a Government press release, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu will also attend the Romania-UK Economic Forum, and will meet with representatives of the Romanian community. “The government is interested in consolidating the Strategic Partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in all fields of bilateral interest, responding to the changing challenges and opportunities. The Romanian community in the UK is big, and fostering the rights of our compatriots is a key pillar of bilateral cooperation”, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. This is the first visit of a Romanian Prime Minister to the UK in 17 years.

     

    ELECTION – Some 200 postal votes for the parliamentary and presidential election in Romania have already arrived from Romanians living abroad and will be counted together with the other votes, the chairman of the Permanent Election Authority (AEP), Toni Greblă, has said. 6,650 citizens have demanded to vote by post and must send their options no later than two days before the start of the voting process proper. The first round of the presidential election is slated for November 24, the second round for December 8, while the parliamentary election will take place on December 1.

     

    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate climbed in October to 4.67% from 4.62% in September, the National Statistics Institute reports. Foods prices went up by 4.75%, while prices for non-food products also increased by 3.45%. Services also went up 7.66%. The National Bank of Romania has upgraded its inflation estimate for the end of 2024, from 4% previously to 4.9%. The Bank expects the inflation rate to go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025, according to a report made public by Governor Mugur Isărescu this Monday. On the other hand, Romania’s trade deficit went up 15% in the first nine months of 2024, reaching some 23.5 bln EUR, the National Statistics Institute reports. Exports have exceeded 69 bln EUR, a 1.4% drop. Imports totaled nearly 93 bln EUR, accounting for a 2.3% increase.

     

    GOTECH WORLD – Officials and representatives of the business sector are attending the opening of GoTech World 2024, an event hosted by Bucharest over November 12-13. This year’s edition of B2B Expo brings together over 120 experts from the sector and nearly 100 exhibitors. Organizers expect a turnover of some 15,000 guests. GoTech World (previously known as Internet & Mobile World) is the biggest conference and expo in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as a regional hub for digital economy, providing professionals from the region with access B2B tech solutions, insight into various digital fields and networking opportunities.

     

    ENESCU – For the first time in the history of Romania, all four violins owned by composer George Enescu will be on the same stage in November 2024, as part of a national tour. The violins are currently in the collection of the “George Enescu” Museum in Bucharest and are classified as “national treasures”. The tour kicks off on November 12 at the Culture Palace in Iași (northeast).  Gabriel Croitoru will be performing on the 1731 “Cathedral” Guarnieri del Gesù violin, Simina Croitoru on the 1931 Paul Klaul violin, Paul Răducanu on the 1930 Paul Klaul and Mircea Dumitrescu on the 1835 Frères Pierre and Hippolyte Silvestre. The tour will then  travel to other cities across the country, before moving to Bologna (Italy). The four violins were donated to the Romanian state by George Enescu’s wife, Maria Cantacuzino-Enescu, upon the foundation of the Museum in 1956.

     

    HEARING – The remaining six European Commissioners, designated for the positions of European Commission executive vice-presidents, including Romania’s nomination, Roxana Mînzatu, are today taking part in hearings before the European Parliament’s special committees. Designated European Commission Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness, will appear before the Committee for Labor and Social Affairs, and before the Committee on Culture and Education. According to Agerpres, Romanian MPs from various political groups say EU Commissioners will pass today’s hearings with little effort.  (VP)

  • July 24, 2024

    July 24, 2024

    DIPLOMACY – Bucharest is hosting the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy, this year themed “Diplomatic Action in a Turbulent World”. The list of guests includes the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Cristina Gherasimov. Discussions are chaired by Romania’s Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu. Attending are heads of diplomatic and consular offices abroad, as well as members of the Romanian MFA leadership, high-ranking Romanian officials, members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Bucharest and opinion leaders. The agenda will include such topics as economic diplomacy and Romania’s OECD accession.

     

    ALERT – The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations last night issued a RO-ALERT warning message for the population of Tulcea County (southeast), regarding the possibility of falling debris in territories close to the Ukrainian border. The alert was issued after the Border Police signaled several drones approaching from the north. According to an Inspectorate release, no territory of Romania is targeted by attacks from the Russian Federation, while defense and public order structures are ready to provide assistance to people in need.

     

    WILDFIRES – Romanian firefighters were involved in Tuesday’s operation designed to put out a wildfire in a tourist area in Argelès-sur-Mer, France. Their mission was to prevent the fire from spreading and to maintain a buffer zone between the wire and affected areas. The Romanian unit effectively contributed to put out the fire and ensure the safety of the local population, allowing local authorities to keep traffic fluid with no restrictions. We recall a number of Romanian firefighting units are taking part in a joint operation to prevent and put out wildfires in France, at the request of the French authorities. Overall, 100 firefighters, two helicopters and a special flying boat used in aerial forest firefighting were used in the operation.

     

    ENERGY – Romania can become a bone fide supplier of energy security in Central and Eastern Europe, the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said on the sidelines of the 5th ministerial meeting of the Partnership for Trans-Atlantic Cooperation in the field of energy and climate change, hosted by Bucharest. “Romania has a lot of major opportunities, and its energy sector boasts huge potential”, the president argues, adding that in recent years, Romania has displayed solidarity, supplying transit and energy support to neighboring Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Romania seeks to develop its own nuclear energy program by boosting the capacity of the Cernavodă NPP (southeast), as well as by exploring innovative solutions, such as SMRs, the head of state further noted. By means of offshore natural gas projects, the Black Sea region can become a genuine “round table” for energy diplomacy, a point of reference in terms of solidarity and cooperation, fostering long-term stability and prosperity, Klaus Iohannis also pointed out, arguing that energy transition is currently key to providing sustainability to national economies.

     

    STATISTICS – Romania imported natural gas the equivalent of 660 thousand tons of oil, by 12% more compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute reports. Romania also reported a slight increase in domestic production during the interval, although the country is expected to maintain a downward trend in that respect over the next three years, according to estimates published by the National Forecast Committee, which also says imports will slightly go down until 2027.

     

    INCIDENT – The four Romanian children taken in by child protection services in Leeds will temporarily be returned to their families, Romanian authorities say. Pending an official inquiry, the children will stay with an uncle on their fathers’ side, according to a British court ruling. We recall a major altercation broke out last week in Leeds, when several Romanian nationals protested violently against the British authorities’ decision to take the children away from their families after one of them received hospital care for a head injury.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions FCSB on Tuesday drew 1-1 against Maccabi Tel-Aviv of Israel at home in the first leg of Champions League’s second preliminary round. The return leg will be played on July 31 in Budapest, Hungary, due to security developments in Israel, preventing home clubs from hosting international matches on home turf. In the first preliminary round, FCSB won 11-1 on aggregate against Virtus of San Marino. On Thursday, Romanian Cup holders Corvinul Hunedoara, currently playing in the second tier of the Romanian football championship, will take on Croatia’s champions, HNK Rijeka in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Europa League. The return leg is scheduled next week in Croatia. In the first round, Corvinul ousted Hungary’s vice-champions, Paksi FK 4-2 on aggregate. Also on Thursday, another two Romanian teams are competing in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Conference League: CFR Cluj will play Neman Grodno of Belarus at home while Universitatea Craiova will go up against NK Maribor of Slovenia away from home.

     

    WEATHER – Temperatures remain high in the south and the east, with the THI expected to reach the critical level of 8- units. Thunderstorms accompanied by strong wind and hail are expected across the country. Highs range between 23-34 degrees Celsius. (VP)

     

  • Romania, slight drop in inflation

    Romania, slight drop in inflation

    The annual inflation rate in Romania dropped slightly, from 7.4% in January, to 7.2% in February, the National Statistics Institute reports. This means prices won’t be going up just as fast, although they will remain high compared to people’s purchasing power, economic experts say. According to statistics, Romania reports the highest inflation rate at EU level, where the average stands close to 3%. In Czechia, for instance, the inflation rate dropped below 3% in February, while in Hungary it stood at 3.7%. As of next month, Poland will lift the 0 VAT rate on food amidst an unexpected drop in inflation. In Romania, food prices remain high, while prices for services are on the rise. In February, prices for non-food products reported the highest increase on average, followed by prices for services and food. Major price hikes were also reported in February for potatoes – once the cheapest vegetable – 4.9%.

     

     

    Other fresh and canned vegetables reported price increase by 3.4% on average. Other price hikes were reported for fresh fruit – approximately 4.7%, detergents – 3% and prices for car subscriptions – 2.6%. Waterworks, sewerage and waste collection prices also went up by 2%. The most significant drop in prices was reported for airline tickets – 17%. Butter was also 9% cheaper compared to January. In the last 12 months, the highest price hikes were reported for postal services, which went up by 26.6% on average, and detergents – nearly 24%, followed by waterworks, sewerage, waste collection services as well as personal hygiene, cosmetics and medical products. We recall that the inflation rate stood at 6.6% at the end of 2023. As estimated by the National Bank of Romania, the inflation rate went up in January 2024 to 7.4%, and is expected to enter a downward trend of the course of this year. The increase was determined by the increase and introduction of indirect taxes with a view to consolidating the state budget. The subsequent drop in inflation could be determined by the downgrade in stock market prices for agrifood products and crude oil, but also by the fluctuation of import prices. The Central Bank expects the inflation rate to level out at 4.7% at the end of the year and to stand at 3.5% at the end of 2025. (VP)

  • Romanians change their financial behavior

    Romanians change their financial behavior

    Like everywhere else in the world, prices continue to rise
    in Romania as well. The annual inflation rate exceeded 15% in August, according
    to the National Statistics Institute. Last month, prices for foodstuffs
    reported the highest increase, 1.8%. Services also went up on average by nearly
    0.4%. Significant price hikes were reported in July in the field of air
    transport, by nearly 24%. The price for sugar went up by nearly 10%, the price
    for butter by 6.8% and milk by 5%. Rail transport and the telecom sectors
    reported slight decreases. Compared to August 2021, the biggest price hikes
    were those for natural gas, 70%, potatoes by over 54% and cooking oil by nearly
    50%. 30% price hikes were also reported for air transport, fuel, milling
    products and sugar. All that has a strong impact on the purchasing power of
    Romanians, who have some of the lowest wages and salaries in the EU. Romanians
    have also panicked as winter draws close, and that means of course bigger bills
    for heat, electricity and gas.

    Half of Romanians have cut back on their
    spending, and the share of those who save has significantly increased compared
    to last year. Virtually, people have adapted their financial behavior to the
    accelerated inflation rate, the overall soaring prices and the higher energy
    bills, according to the Money Matters study conducted by the Austrian group
    Erste in countries in Central and Eastern Europe. According to the research,
    over 75% of Romanians are saving money for potential emergencies and unforeseen
    situations, while 74% are building up a cash reserve for the family. Both
    categories have gone up 8% compared to last year. Additionally, one in four
    Romanians is saving to invest in education and professional training, against
    merely 16% last year.

    The study also revealed that 64% of Romanians say they
    have been affected by inflation, while 38% believe their financial situation
    has deteriorated in the last year, which is double the percentage reported in
    2019. On average, Romanians save some 70 EUR per month, by 9 EUR more than in
    2021, and only a third save money for retirement. 61% of respondents believe
    financial education is the remit of schools and other education institutions.
    56% believe this is the responsibility of parents and family, while 45% believe
    banks and other financial institutions should see to it. (VP)



  • The self-enumeration period got extended

    The self-enumeration period got extended

    Online self-enumeration – the first stage in the population and household
    census in Romania, which was due to end on Sunday – got extended by another two
    weeks. The National Statistics Institute president, Tudorel Andrei, said that
    the decision factored in the high interest displayed by Romanians in recent
    days, when the average rate of online self-enumeration went up four times
    compared to the early period. Besides, this method of collecting personal data
    will save up to 2 Euro for every online questionnaire. Tudorel Andrei expressed
    satisfaction with the functioning of the online platform so far, considering it
    represents a first for Romania.


    There are nearly one million requests to fill the online questionnaire
    every day, of which nearly half are finalized. Our colleagues from the Special
    Telecommunications Service have provided us with their full support, and
    whenever drawbacks are reported, I assure you we are doing everything possible
    to solve them in due time. We want to exceed the 50% mark.


    So far, over 8.4 million Romanians have completed the online
    self-enumeration questionnaires, accounting for 44% of the total population,
    the same percentage reported in Bulgaria for instance, although higher compared
    to other European states. Tudorel Andrei also said that people who stay abroad
    for periods exceeding a year must not fill in the online forms, with the
    exception of properties they own in Romania. Moreover, the Institute president
    said there are a number of sanctions that apply to citizens providing false
    information or refusing to provide censors with their personal data.
    Conversely, self-enumeration remains a voluntary procedure. As for the final
    results of the census, Kelemen Hunor, the president of UDMR, says they will
    determine public policy-making in the future.


    We’ve had a very strong awareness-raising campaign, highlighting the
    importance of self-enumeration, because it’s important to show we are a strong
    community. The self-enumeration stage went very well, and it’s important for
    our community. We told people to fill in the online questionnaire and assert
    their cultural, ethnic, religious and linguistic identity – it’s an important
    element that connects us to the present and future of our community.


    A national census started on March 14 in Romania. People who don’t
    complete the self-enumeration process will be visited by a censor over May 31 -
    July 17 at home. The census originally slated for 2021, but it was postponed
    due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The census is held every 10 years and is
    necessary to produce national and European statistics. (VP)





  • Tourism in the Winter Holidays

    Tourism in the Winter Holidays

    Romanian tourists have changed
    their preferences in recent years regarding the places they choose to spend the
    winter holidays. More and more Romanians prefer to leave home and spend Christmas away, opting for various dynamic activities. There are those who
    chose to spend Christmas abroad, heading for warm spots such as the Maldives,
    Thailand, Zanzibar, Dubai, the Dominican Republic, Mexico or Egypt. Children’s
    destinations such as Lapland or Disneyland, ranked second in terms of
    preferences. The most sought-after destinations in the country were Bukovina,
    Maramures, Baile Felix spa and the mountain resorts on Prahova Valley. Those
    who wanted something different, longing for the joy of Christmas spent in the
    old days, opted for guesthouses operating in peasant houses, some of them over
    150 years old.

    According to the National Association for Ecological, Rural and
    Cultural Tourism in Romania (ANTREC), these houses observe the traditional wood
    and stone architecture and are kept in mint condition, preserving an archaic
    mood that is very hard to find, Livia Sima from the Maramures branch of ANTREC told
    us. Another category of tourists opted for guesthouses located very close to
    ski slopes in the mountains, even if this year we’ve had little to no snow.
    Nevertheless snow cannons and night lighting facilities are operational. Customs
    and traditions are associated at this time of the year with traditional food
    and the occasional ride on the village alleys, either by horse-drawn carriage
    or ATV. At the opposite pole, those who went to Baile Felix spa or similar
    resorts could enjoy all the thermal water facilities offered. Tourism in
    Romania reported a good evolution this year, not just around holidays, the
    National Statistics Institute reports. The number of arrivals has gone up in
    the first 9 months of the year by 4.4%, while some 20% of tourists were foreigners.
    Over 2 million foreigners visited Romania in the first 9 months of the year,
    spending some 1.15 billion euros, according to the National Statistics
    Institute. Half of them traveled for business, taking part in conferences,
    congresses, classes, trade fairs and exhibitions. Foreign tourists spent 50% of
    their money on accommodation, preferring units that offered included breakfast.
    Some 18% of the money was spent in restaurants and bars, while a little over
    30% represented gifts and souvenirs.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • Statistics on household expenses

    Statistics on household expenses

    An inquiry into the quality of life
    conducted by the National Statistics Institute last year shows that nearly two
    in five households, accounting for 37.6% of the total population, are having a
    hard time covering the costs of living. The figure reaches as high as 80% of
    total households, when taking into account the coverage of daily costs, the
    Institute further reports. On the other hand, one in five households find it
    easy to cover living costs.

    Of those households experiencing difficulties,
    47.4% are run by women, 44.7% by senior citizens and 57.1% are made of two
    adults with three or more children in their care. Additionally, 59.9% of
    households experiencing difficulties have an unemployed as the family provider,
    while 52.6% are being provided for by someone working in the agriculture
    sector. Still, in terms of covering important running costs, such as utility
    expenses or bank loans, the study reveals that a third of households are
    incurring repeated arrears, mainly due to their substandard financial
    situation.

    Most arrears last year were reported
    for electricity, household upkeep and mobile phone services bills. As regards
    the family provider, families living on unemployment benefits are by far
    experiencing the most difficulties, with a share of 59.5% of the total number
    of households that were unable to pay their dues. Arrears are equally reported
    largely in the case of families with children, especially those made up of two
    adults and three or more children in their care, or in the case of families
    with a single parent with at least a child in his care. The estimation of the
    minimum level of income that would allow households to cover living costs is
    directly linked to the degree they cope with daily costs. More than a quarter
    of households consider they can cover livings costs with a minimum net income
    of 208 to 416 euros, but three in five households need at least 416 euros to
    cover monthly expenses. Over a third of households consider the minimum monthly
    income required to cover running expenses should be higher than 625 euros.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • Youth, Employment and Mobility

    Youth, Employment and Mobility


    According to a survey conducted by the National Statistics Institute in the second quarter of the year 2016, there were some 4.8 million young people living in Romania, aged 15 to 34. Half of them were employed at the time of the survey, which doesnt necessarily mean that they had a stable job. It means that they had worked at least one hour per week and were paid for that. Some three quarters of them were full-time salaried employees, mainly in services (50%), industry and construction (28%) and agriculture (21%). Vladimir Alexandrescu, a spokesperson for the National Statistics Institute, told us that the situation of those who work in agriculture is not very bright.



    Vladimir Alexandrescu: “Working in agriculture means, most of the time, working in subsistence households. Of course, agriculture and rural life does have a modern part too, but, generally speaking, this too is organized as a family structure, which means that they produce only to cover the basic consumption needs of a small, family-type group. Statistically, these people too are classified as employed. But if we look at the deeper reality, their social and economic contribution is lower than what they could have accomplished had they had the possibility to work in more developed agricultural enterprises, like the farms in Western Europe or the US.”



    Also, at the time of the survey, more than 2.3 million young people were inactive, and 270,000 were unemployed, meaning that they were trying to find a job or used to be part of Romanias work force at one point. The others were still in school. Besides them, some one million young people, accounting for 19.9% of the population targeted by the survey, and 28% of those who had completed a form of education, were neither working, nor enrolled in the formal education system. According to Mihai Dragos, president of the Youth Council in Romania, these figures reflect a real tragedy.



    Mihai Dragos: “Other studies show that, if young people stay inactive for more than 4 months, consequences could be serious, in the sense that they will have less stable jobs, employment will alternate with unemployment, they will find it more difficult to advance in their careers and will accept smaller salaries”.



    One of the main causes of school dropout is poverty, and 53% of school children do not go past secondary education. Two out of five Romanian young people believe that high school is enough in terms of education, even though higher education graduates have a much easier time finding a job. 49.3% of the young people who had a job at the time of the survey had got it by applying directly to companies or institutions, while 28.8% found their jobs through relatives or friends.



    Mihai Dragos: “As regards employment, it is interesting that around 30% of them get a job through relatives or friends. In the western countries, this networking is important too. Having a network of acquaintances, knowing people, having connections, employers included, can be useful.”



    On the other hand, those who manage to get employed or get a form of paid work, are not very willing to travel long distances in order to improve their situation. Only 3.8% of the young people who were working, aged 25 to 29, had decided to change their place of residence in order to get that job. At the same time, only 20% of the unemployed youth said they were willing to move to find a better job.



    Vladimir Alexandrescu: “Mobility has a double meaning, we are talking about the mobility of the already employed, as well as the mobility of the job seekers who could get a job in places other than the one they live in. At the same time, the fact that so many young people go abroad, far away from their country, seems to contradict this. The most active and highly-skilled young people dont seem to mind working anywhere. They are willing to take a job thousands of kilometers away from home.”



    But how would a youth representative explain this situation? Here is Mihai Dragos once more:


    “Young people are rather reluctant to move away from home to work. But this has something to do with the states housing policies too. Does the state help young people find a place they can afford? And here Im referring to the minimum wage too. It is difficult for someone working for the minimum wage to pay 150 to 200 Euro a month for rent, in a city where they have to get by with a salary of approximately 330 Euro. Its simply unaffordable to move if you have such a low income.”



    This is the reason why youth organization representatives believe that the youth situation should be addressed by public policies, starting with a better correlation between the education system and the labor market, in addition to incentives for increased mobility, as well as paid internships in public and private organizations.




  • July 29, 2016 UPDATE

    July 29, 2016 UPDATE

    CELEBRATION – Ceremonies were held on Friday in the capital Bucharest and several other Romanian cities to mark the Romanian Anthem Day, celebrated every year on July the 29th. The Romanian anthem, “Deşteaptă-te, române!” or “Awaken thee, Romanian!” in English was written by Romanian poet Andrei Mureşanu (1816-1863) and it was first performed during the European Revolution in 1848. It was banned during the Communist years in Romania until immediately after the country’s anti-Communist revolution in 1989.




    PROSECUTION – The Liberal MP Ioan Oltean is prosecuted alongside the former head of the National Authority for Property Restitution Crinuta Dumitrean in a case of illegal damages paid for a bloc of land in the town of Pitesti. Prosecutors say that the damages to the state budget in this case stand at almost 100 million lei.




    CORRUPTION — The deputy governor of the National Bank of Romania, Bogdan Olteanu, was placed under 30-day home arrest on Friday. Olteanu was taken into custody on Thursday night for influence peddling. According to prosecutors, between July and November 2008, while serving as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Olteanu requested and received 1 million euro and election support from a business man, in exchange for appointing someone as governor of the Danube Delta. The same source mentions that the individual in question was appointed Danube Delta governor in September 2008. Olteanu’s lawyer has announced that on Monday his client will submit his resignation from the position of deputy governor of the National Bank of Romania. A Liberal since 1991, Bogdan Olteanu has been a deputy governor of Romania’s central bank since 2009. The National Bank explained in a news release that the investigation targets Bogdan Olteanu’s activity before he was appointed deputy governor.




    UNEMPLOYMENT — The unemployment rate went down by 0.2% in July, to 568,000 people between 15 and 74 years of age currently jobless, the National Statistics Institute has announced. Unemployment among men is higher than the corresponding rate for women. People aged between 25 and 74 account for 78% of the total number of people on welfare in July.




    ECONOMY –Fitch rating agency lowered its long-term local currency debt rating for the city of Bucharest from “BBB” to ”BBB-”, with stable outlook. According to the Agency, the changes take into account developments related to the country rating, because the rating for specific administrative units cannot be higher than the national one. Last week, Fitch adjusted Romania’s long-term local currency rating to the ”BBB-”, stable outlook rating for long-term foreign currency debt. Fitch also confirmed the ceiling for Romania’s country rating at ”BBB+”.




    US ELECTION – Hillary Clinton has officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president of the US. The former state secretary became the first female presidential nominee, and her speech closed the Democratic Convention, launching Clinton’s direct race against her Republican opponent Donald Trump. During the Convention, the latter was subject to several attacks by key Democratic leaders, including President Barack Obama and vice-president Joe Biden. They accused Trump, a billionaire brought to public attention by a reality show, of demagogically posing as a defender of the middle class. Hillary Clinton has also criticised Trump, saying his vision divides the Americans. In her address at the Democratic Convention, Hillary Clinton emphasised her political experience, both as a senator and as a secretary of state, and approached all the topics of importance to American voters, from gun control to the need to revive the middle class.




    TURKEY — The European Commissioner in charge with Turkey’s EU accession negotiations, Johannes Hahn, warned Ankara with respect to its treatment of suspects after the attempted coup. He said that suspicions of treatment in breach of human rights legislation would have consequences. Hahn mentioned that the migrant subsidy agreement with Turkey was in force, and the migration wave towards the EU had been reduced. After the failed coup of July 15, Turkish authorities proceeded to a crackdown on all those suspected of involvement. Many observers speak about cleansing, given the scope of the campaign initiated by the authorities: over 60.000 army, judiciary, police, administration and education personnel have so far been arrested, fired or suspended from office.



    (Translated bu Elena Enache)


  • April 29, 2016

    April 29, 2016

    Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide, including Romania, a mostly Orthodox country, are today marking Good Friday. This day, also known as Holy Friday, is the day when Christians commemorate the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. From the early days of Christianity, Good Friday was observed as a day of sorrow, penance, and fasting. Special religious services are being held this evening. Hundreds of people will march in procession in Targu Jiu, in southern Romania, symbolically retracing “The Way of the Cross”.




    The case concerning the fire that killed 64 young people in Bucharest’s Colectiv nightclub last autumn has reached the trial stage. Six people were sent to Court, including the three owners of the nightclub, under charges of manslaughter, bodily harm and breach of workplace safety and health regulations. Sixty-four people died and over 100 others were injured in the tragedy that shocked the entire country.




    The unemployment rate in Romania continues to be on the decrease, being slightly smaller in March as against the previous month – 6.4% from 6.5%, according to the National Statistics Institute. Of the total number of people aged between 15 and 74, less than 600 thousands were still looking for a job in March. This figure is also smaller as compared with the same month of last year, when the number of unemployed stood at 613 thousand.




    The Prime Minister’s Control Body has initiated checks at the National Opera House in Bucharest for a number of reasons, such as establishing the manner in which people were hired in the institution’s high level positions. Ninety-five years since its establishment, celebrated this very month, the National Opera House in Bucharest is the stage of a huge scandal and witnesses an unprecedented crisis, with three performances cancelled and the Culture Minister Vlad Alexandrescu stepping down as a consequence.




    The Romanian, Ukrainian and Turkish border police plan to set up a joint patrol fleet in the Black Sea, aimed at ensuring stability in the region. Combating poaching and drug and weapons trafficking will be the patrol fleet’s main tasks. In Bucharest, Romanian Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc has recently announced that Romania will initiate procedures for the setting up of a NATO fleet in the Black Sea, for defense and determent purposes. Moscow has criticized this move, saying that it seriously undermines security and stability in this part of Europe forcing Russia to respond in order to maintain its security.




    Romanian Lucian Bute will return to the boxing ring on Saturday evening. In a boxing gala hosted by Washington, Bute will fight Gambian-born Swedish boxer Badou Jack for the WBC super middleweight belt. Jack Badou has 20 wins in professional competitions, of which 12 by knockout, and only 1 defeat. Lucian Bute is the former super middleweight champion in the IBF version. He successfully defended his title nine times, for nearly four years and a half. He has 32 wins, of which 25 by knockout, and three defeats. If he wins on April 30, Bute will become the only Romanian boxer to hold two world titles in the two boxing versions.