12 August, 2016
Romania mourns Queen Anne, Romania reports highest economic growth since 2008
Daniela Budu, 12.08.2016, 11:59
FUNERAL — Romanians are paying their last respects to Queen Anne, the consort of Romania’s last king, Michael the 1st. Queen Anne died in Switzerland on the 1st of August aged 92. Countless ordinary people and Romanian public and political figures have already paid their respects to the Queen who was brought to Bucharest on Wednesday from Peles Castle. After a public wake held at the Royal Palace in Bucharest, on Saturday the Queen’s remains will be taken to the final resting place at Curtea de Arges Monastery. A day of national mourning will be observed on Saturday in both Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.
ARREST — A former National Bank of Romania deputy governor, Bogdan Olteanu, has been placed under 16-day arrest under an order issued by Romania’s Supreme Court today. He was already on house arrest, in an investigation in which he is accused of influence peddling. According to the National Anti-corruption Directorate, between July and November 2008, when he was the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Olteanu requested and received from a businessman 1 million euros and election campaign support, in exchange for an appointment as governor of the Danube Delta. Bogdan Olteanu is the first National Bank official ever detained by prosecutors. The central bank said the investigation concerns the period before Bogdan Olteanu became deputy governor in 2009.
ANTI-CORRUPTION — The Romanian Justice Minister, Raluca Prună, is holding a press conference today, in the context of the Government passing a new National Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2016-2020. The document was subject to public debate between February and July this year. According to the Justice Minister, the main goal of the Strategy is to promote integrity by means of strict implementation of the anti-corruption laws and regulations in Romania. She also mentioned that the principles underlying the document were transparency in decision-making processes and open government, accompanied by a three-fold approach to the anti-corruption strategy, focusing on prevention, education and combating.
INFLATION — In the second quarter of this year, Romania’s economy saw its fastest growth rate since 2008, exceeding analyst expectations. The trend was accompanied by a consumption boom, encouraged by lower taxes and salary increases, Bloomberg reports. Romania’s GDP went up 6% in the second quarter of this year as compared to the corresponding period of 2015, estimates released on Friday by the National Statistics Institute also confirmed. In its spring economic forecast, the European Commission estimated that the Romanian economy would grow by 4.2% in 2016, fuelled by sound domestic demand. The growth rate is expected to slow down to 3.7% next year. The European Commission warned that the recent fiscal relaxation measures might jeopardise the 2017 budget targets, although it said Romania would likely have the second highest economic growth rate in the EU this year, after Ireland.
OLYMPICS — Romanias womens epee team won for the first time ever the Olympic gold after defeating China 44 to 38. This is the first medal won by the Romanian team at this edition of the Olympic games, and the 16th gold won by a Romanian fencing team in the games. In the tennis doubles, the Romanian mens team made up of Horia Tecau and Florin Mergea secured the silver after defeating in the semifinals the US pair Jack Sock/ Steve Johnson. The two stand a good chance of winning the gold if they defeat today the pair Rafael Nadal/ Marc Lopez. This is also an important day for the Romanian handball team, who has to defeat Span to stay in the fray. Romania also competes in the male judo competition, in the over 100 kg category, mens weightlifting in the 85 kg category, womens track in the 1,500 meter category. Romanias womens coxed eight has qualified for the finals.
