August 18, 2022

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 18.08.2022, 13:55

Budget. The Romanian
Government has approved today the first budget adjustment of the year, which is
positive and based on an increase in the Gross Domestic Product of
approximately 30 billion lei (6 billion euros) to the general consolidated
budget Following the budget adjustment, the ministries of Finance, Labor and
European Projects will receive more money. The measures taken by the Executive
to support the economy and the citizens, in the context of the very high
increase in inflation, have priority. These measures include a support scheme
for compensating electricity and natural gas prices, as well as state subsidies
for the diesel fuel used in agriculture and guarantees for loans contracted by
farmers.

Inflation. The annual
inflation rate in the euro zone stood at 8.9% in July, up from 8.6% the
previous month, while in the European Union it rose from 9.6% to 9.8%, according
to data published today by Eurostat. The member countries with the highest
inflation rates are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria,
Hungary, Poland and Romania. In July, in Romania, the annual inflation rate
remained at 13%, while in July last year, the annual rate was 3.8%. At the opposite
pole, the EU member countries with the lowest inflation are Malta and France
(both with 6.8%) and Finland (8%).

Program. In Romania, the Women
Entrepreneur program is launched today, which aims to encourage and stimulate
small and medium-sized enterprises founded and managed by women. According to
the authorities, just over 35% of entrepreneurs are women, and approximately
785 companies will benefit from this program this year. The maximum budget
allocated to the program in 2022 stands at around 157 million lei (about 31
million euros), each company being able to benefit from about 200,000 lei (40
thousand euros). The Women Entrepreneur program also contributes to achieving
one of the OECD standards – gender equality in the entrepreneurial field.

Visit. The Romanian
Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is visiting Prague today, at the invitation
of his counterpart, Jan Lipavsky, in the context of the Czech Republic holding
the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. According to a press release
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions focus on Romanian-Czech
cooperation within the Union, with an emphasis on coordinating the positions of
the two states. The two will also address the multiple implications of Moscow’s
illegal war in Ukraine, including from the perspective of managing the food
crisis, energy security and the steps necessary to reduce energy dependence on
Russia. Bogdan Aurescu and Jan Lipavsky also discuss the cooperation between Romania
and the Czech Republic within NATO, with an emphasis on the consolidation and
efficiency of the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank.

Athletics. Romanian athlete
Bianca Florentina Ghelber won the gold medal in the hammer throw event, on
Wednesday, at the European Athletics Championships in Munich. Ghelber (32 years
old), ranked sixth at the Tokyo Olympics last year, won the final in Munich
with 72.72 meters, ahead of the Polish Ewa Rozanska, 72.12 m, and the Italian
Sara Fantini, 71.58 m. Thus, Romania won the first continental gold medal in
athletics after a break of 20 years. Also in Munich, Romania secured new medals
at the individual European Table Tennis Championships, in the women’s doubles
event. Four Romanians are in the semifinals, the phase that secures the bronze
medals, so there will definitely be at least one player in the finals. Romania
has already got a silver medal at the European Table Tennis Championships in the
mixed doubles event, won by Bernadette Szocs and Ovidiu Ionescu.

Champion. Romanian
champion David Popovici, gold medalist in the 100m and 200m freestyle events,
was named the best athlete in the men’s swimming events at the European
Swimming Championships in Rome, according to the Romanian Swimming and Modern
Pentathlon Federation. In a score-based ranking, following the best
performances in the competition, David Popovici came in first in the men’s
category with 1,003 points, while in the women’s category the Lithuanian Ruta
Meilutyte was the first with 985 points. At only 17 years old, David Popovici
became, on Saturday, in Rome, the world record holder in the 100 m freestyle
with 46 seconds and 86 hundredths. Later, on Monday, he also won the gold medal
in the 200 m freestyle. With 1 minute 42 seconds and 97 hundredths, he set,
also in this event, a new world and European record. (MI)