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)
