August 28, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 28.08.2023, 20:00

Accident. All fuel and LPG stations in Romania are being checked as of Monday and the activity of those that pose risks to public safety will be suspended, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced. He added that legislative changes were being considered to regulate this area, changes which could be approved this week. The decisions come after Saturday evenings devastating chain blasts at an LPG station in Crevedia (south), that were followed by a fire. Two people lost their lives and around 60, mostly firefighters, as well as gendarmes and policemen, were injured. The interior minister Cătălin Predoiu has given assurances that all those found guilty will be held accountable. Investigations by the Prosecutor Generals Office and the military and anti-corruption prosecutors are currently under way.

Protest. Finance employees resumed their protests on Monday in several cities across Romania, given that negotiations with the relevant minister Marcel Boloş failed. The protests are organized by the “Solidarity: Federation of Trade Unions from Fiscal Administration, affiliated to the National Trade Union Bloc. The trade unionists say they are preparing for a strike in early September. On August 22, they organized a warning strike throughout the country and a protest rally in front of the Ministry of Finance. Also, on August 11, over 15,000 employees from the structures of the Ministry of Finance from all over the country started spontaneous protests, dissatisfied with the measures proposed by the Executive to reduce budget expenses (…). Also on Monday, in Bucharest, over 100 members of the National Trade Union Federation in Welfare and Child Protection, PRO.ASIST, protested in front of the government, demanding that the plan of measures to reduce budget expenses did not apply to welfare. They believe that vulnerable people will suffer, because the system is already understaffed due to low wages.

Visit. The Ministers of Labor, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, of Finance, Marcel Boloş and of European Funds, Adrian Câciu, are currently on a visit to Brussels. The Labor Minister will present to European officials the new amendments to the law on special pensions that are required by the Constitutional Court. Simona Bucura-Oprescu will also inform the Commission about the governments intention to levy a 15% tax on the part of the special pension that exceeds the net average salary. In turn, the ministers of finance and European funds will present the governments intention to exceed the assumed threshold of 4.4% on this years budget deficit. The two ministers will also present the elements of the package of laws for which the government wants to take responsibility before Parliament, regarding the reform of the state administration, fiscal equity and the effective fight against tax dodging.

Diplomacy. Russias war of aggression in Ukraine violates the basic principles of international law, Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren Stork said on Monday. The minister spoke of the historical relationship between Romania and Chile. He is currently on a visit to Bucharest, where he held a joint press statement with his Romanian counterpart, Luminiţa Odobescu. Alberto van Klaveren Stork is a special guest of the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday in Bucharest, under the theme A firm foreign policy of Romania: managing challenges and maximizing opportunities. The special guest of the meeting will be the head of the Lithuanian diplomacy Gabrielius Landsbergis. The main theme of the event is centered on the reaffirmation of foreign policy priorities, in the sense of managing challenges and in the perspective of capitalizing on the opportunities generated by the current international environment. In the context of the most serious security challenge on NATOs Eastern Flank, the theme of security, cohesion and connectivity is the subject of a plenary session. The agenda of the meeting also includes the contribution of Romanian diplomacy to the consolidation of the European project, economic development strategies, the organization, abroad, of the three rounds of elections in 2024, with an emphasis on the smooth running of electoral processes in the diaspora, the role of Romanian missions in the promotion of cultural diplomacy and scientific cooperation.

Survey. Seven out of ten Romanians consider pollution a major problem in Romania, but less than half would be willing to pay more for clean energy sources. These are the data of a survey carried out by one of the most important Romanian companies active in the natural gas industry, CIS Gaz. According to the survey, more than 90% of the subjects believe that more investments should be made to increase the sustainability of the energy system. Thus, over 65% of Romanians believe that among the first targets of these investments should be the transport and distribution network and the installations, followed by the condition of the pipelines (almost 31%). At the same time, over 80% of Romanians believe that renewable energy is very important or quite important for the sustainability of the economy in the years to come. The survey was carried out, nationally, in June 2023, online, on a total sample of 1,383 internet users from Romania.

Trains. The European Commission has allocated over 52 million euros to Romania for the purchase of 37 electric trains for 13 inter-regional routes in the country. The latest generation trains will offer increased comfort to travelers and will contribute to the reduction of emissions generated by transport – said the Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira. With a minimum capacity of 300 passengers per train, this investment will significantly contribute to increasing the quality of services on the main electrified railway corridors. (MI)