23 July, 2018 UPDATE

A roundup of the main stories in Romania today.

Newsroom, 23.07.2018, 19:04

Visit. The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will be having talks
with the Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar in Bucharest on Tuesday. According
to the president’s office, they will discuss bilateral relations and European
issues such as the future of the community bloc, Romania’s presidency of the EU
Council in the first part of next year, the Union’s new budget, Brexit and
migration. President Iohannis is expected to call for an expanded and more
diversified cooperation between the two states.

Appointment. The Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis on Monday signed the decree for the appointment of Oliver-Felix Banila
as the new chief of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime
and Terrorism (DIICOT). Also on Monday, prosecutor Florentina Mirica submitted
her application for the vacant position of head of the Anti-Corruption
Directorate. The Directorate’s current deputy chief Marius Iacob has also
applied for this position. A total of four candidates are vying to replace Laura
Codruta Kovesi who was dismissed this month by president Klaus Iohannis following
a Constitutional Court ruling. The selection of candidates will be held between
July 25th and 27th, with the justice minister Tudorel
Toader expected to announce his proposal on July 30. The minister’s nomination
will be submitted for approval to the prosecutors’ section of the Higher
Council of Magistracy and then to the head of state for approval. If there
is no winner, the selection procedure can be resumed.

Activity report. State budget revenues went up in the first six
months of the year by 12% compared with the same period last year, said prime
minister Viorica Dancila at the presentation of a review of the first six
months in office. She said that the absorption rate of European funds grew from
12% in December to 19% last month, while the European average rate is 20%. She
also mentioned the increase in the pension index and in the minimum pension by
23% as of July 1st, as well as the increase in salaries in the
healthcare and education sectors.

Measles. 60 new cases of measles have been reported in
the last week in Romania according to the National Institute for Public Health.
Since the outbreak of the epidemics, almost 15,000 cases have been reported,
including 59 deaths. The vast majority of cases have affected persons who have
not been vaccinated.

Eurostat.
Between 2000 and 2016, Romania, Hungary and Slovenia saw
the largest increases in government employment in the European Union, according
to an Eurostat report. In 2016, the share of government employment in Romania
out of total employment stood at at a little over 15%. At 29%, Sweden has the
largest share of government employment in the European Union. Government
employment accounted for 16% of total employment in the EU in 2016. Also, the
mean monthly gross earnings in public administration and defence (with the
exception of education and public health sectors) stood at 2,600 euros in 2014,
compared with 600 euros in Romania.

Romania-Malta. The
Romanian minister for labour and social justice Lia Olguta Vasilescu and
Malta’s minister for children’s rights and social solidarity Michael Falzon signed a joint declaration in Bucharest
on Monday. The two sides agree to establish and develop active relations in the
fields of family and social policies, according to a press release from the labour
ministry in Bucharest. The two officials also discussed Romania’s upcoming presidency
of the EU Council. Romania and Malta celebrate 50 years of diplomatic
relations.

Football. The Romanian football team CFR Cluj are getting ready for their first
match in the Champions League second preliminary round against the Swedish side
Malmo. In the Europa League second preliminary round, the Romanian vice-champions
FCSB are facing the Slovenian side NK Rudar Velenje at home, while Viitorul
Constanta will play against the Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem, also at home.
Another Romanian team, CSU Craiova, go straight into the third round.