28 December, 2015

Minimum wage in Romania may go up in the private sector, the US is hit by tornados and floods

Valentin Țigău, 28.12.2015, 11:59

1.3 million Romanians working for minimum wage in the private sector and for companies where the state is a partner are going to find out on December 30 if their income goes up, after the last sit down of the executive for this year. Until then, PM Dacian Ciolos is holding talks with employers and unions. In January, over 630,000 employees collecting state wages, such as public administration, police and gendarmes will get 10% higher wages for the end of the year. Romania is next to last, over Bulgaria, in terms of the minimum wage, worth 230 Euro a month gross. In the Czech Republic the minimum wage is 332 Euro a month, in Poland 410, in Spain 760, and in Germany 1,470 Euro a month.

In the southern and Midwestern United States, tornados and flooding have left 43 dead in the last week, according to Reuters. Experts indicate a polar weather front as the main cause, bringing heavy snows, floods and strong gusts of wind, with freezing rains on large areas, from west Texas to New Mexico. New Mexico had 60 cm of snow, while in the New York area temperatures have reached 20 degrees centigrade. Unusual weather has afflicted Europe as well, with the worst flooding in 70 years in the north of the UK, while Germany, Austria and France have unusually warm weather. Spain, at the same time, reports brush fires, while dozens were evacuated from the Danish capital, Copenhagen, after floods hit the city.

AFP has declared German Chancellor Angela Merkel the most influential personality of 2015, in light of the Middle East migrant crisis and Greece’s financial near collapse. Time magazine also designated her as the most notable person of the year, beating to the plate Russian President Vladimir Putin, who won the title in 2014.

At least 14 people were killed and 132 injured in a bombing in Homs, the third largest city in Syria, with a majority Alawi population, according to a Syrian state television report. Another report, however, indicates that 32 were left dead and 90 injured in the attack, according to AFP and Reuters.

Stratfor, a geopolitical analysis agency, says that Romania will play an important role in a future anti-Russian coalition. According to their forecast, Romania, Poland and Hungary will attempt to regain territory lost to Russia at some point in the past. Stratfor believes that the future of CEE will be defined by US interests. Poland is supposed to become the regional leader, while the EU, even though it would hold together, would be much more divided. The organization also expects Moscow to be afflicted by sanctions and low oil prices.

Holland takes over the rotating EU presidency on 1 January 2016 for the 12th time. The most important issues it will be facing are the wave of migration and terrorism. Dutch PM Mark Rutte said this is going to be a very pragmatic presidency, focused on common issues. As for migration, the Dutch premier said he was irritated by the fact that the migrant crisis fell on the shoulders of western EU members, while eastern members shirked their duties in this respect.

Translated by Călin Coţoiu