December 10, 2022 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 10.12.2022, 19:00

SCHENGEN — The Bucharest authorities continue to make efforts for their country’s Schengen accession in spite of Thursday’s negative vote in the Justice and Home Affairs Council, triggered by Austria’s veto. PM Nicolae Ciuca said Bucharest has consultations with the EU institutions on reintroducing the Schengen issue on the European Council’s agenda next week. He also said that decoupling Romania from Bulgaria in the accession process is also an option under discussion. USR, a Romanian party in the opposition, has announced it will table a simple motion next week, against home affairs minister Lucian Bode, whom they blame for Romania’s failure to join Schengen. The move is also supported by unaffiliated MPs with Forta Dreptei. Lucian Bode said in turn that Austria’s blockage was unjustified and that a decision regarding the country’s accession to the passport-free area may be taken at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in March 2023. Romania’s ambassador in Vienna, Emil Hurezeanu, was recalled to the country on Friday, for consultations. A number of European countries have voiced disappointment at Thursday’s negative vote for Bulgaria and Romania. Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs said she was convinced she would secure the accession of Romania and Bulgaria during her current mandate and that she would make this a priority. Also, Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen, said he deeply regrets his country’s veto.

UKRAINE — The city of Odessa, in southern Ukraine, was left without power on Saturday, following an attack by “kamikaze drones” during the night, Ukrainian authorities have announced. Critical infrastructure however, such as hospitals and maternity wards, did have electricity. Kyiv said on Friday that the southern regions, Odessa included, are the worst affected by power outages days after the most recent series of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian power network. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that his army will continue to strike Ukrainian power networks, in spite of harsh criticism from the West. In this context, the EU has already announced it will send electric power generators to Ukraine, each having the capacity to supply energy to an entire hospital.

BUDGET – Romanias state and social security budget bills were approved by the government and have been forwarded to Parliament for discussion. Senators and deputies have until Sunday to submit amendments, ahead of debates in the expert committees on Monday. The final vote will he held on Thursday. The state budget was built on a 2.8% economic growth rate and a projected budget deficit of 4.4% of the GDP. The ministries set to receive more funding include defence, agriculture, transport, development and education. Less money than this year will be earmarked for the ministries for energy, the judiciary and public healthcare. The two bills also stipulate a 10% increase in public sector salaries, a 12.5% increase in pensions and an increase of the national minimum wage to approximately 610 euros per month. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians, an ultranationalist party in opposition, already announced it would table amendments because it disagreed with the budget bill.

BOOK FAIR — The 29th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair, organized by Radio Romania, continues in Bucharest. Until Sunday, 200 participants offer the public an extremely varied range of editorial products, on different supports, suitable for all ages and fields of interest, music and educational games. More than 600 editorial events have been announced, including book launches, debates, autograph sessions, performances and workshops as well as other projects. For the first time, two spaces dedicated to interactive activities for the youngest visitors have been set up within the fair. The honorary president of this years edition is the writer Ana Blandiana, who said that such an event helps readers and authors discover each other. She spoke about the importance of the public radio station, as organizer of the event.

AGRICULTURE — The Romanian Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea is attending the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels on December 11 and 12. As is the case each year in December, Agriculture and Fisheries ministers meet to reach a political agreement on fishing rights for 2023 in EU and non-EU waters, in the Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea, as well as for certain deep-sea stocks. Ministers will discuss the current market situation in member states, particularly in light of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. They are expected to stress the high input prices, as well as the energy and fertilizer crisis and the pressure this is putting on both farmers and consumers. Ministers will exchange views on the strategic plans included in the common agricultural policy (CAP) against the background of the current situation in Ukraine and the new challenges this is posing to the farming sector. They will also exchange views on the need to review existing laws as soon as possible, in order to reach an optimal level of animal welfare in the EU.

REFUGEES — The Romanian Border Police has announced that over 151 thousand people, both Romanian and foreign citizens, crossed the border checkpoints to and from Romania on Friday. Almost 75 thousand people entered the country, of whom 7,500 Ukrainian citizens, down 4.69% as against the previous day. Over 3 million Ukrainians have crossed the border into Romania since February 10, 2022.

HANDBALL — The Romanian women’s handball vice champion, CSM Bucharest, beat Ferencvaros Budapest 33-29 on Saturday, away from home, in the Champions League. Following this victory, CSM is provisional leader of the group, with 13 points. CSM will next be up against Vipers of Norway, at home, on December 18. (EE)