December 12, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 12.12.2024, 19:56
Schengen. The EU interior ministers convening in the Justice and Home Affairs Council have decided to lift controls at internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania, starting with 1 January 2025. “Through the coordinated efforts of Romanian authorities, through steps at political and diplomatic level, we can finally enjoy a well-deserved right, legitimately acquired by Romania”, president Klaus Iohannis said, welcoming the decision announced in Brussels. “The advantages of our membership in the free movement area are multiple and have a direct impact on citizens, on the economy and on the image of our country. Scrapping border controls means faster and simpler movement for those who travel, the time spent at the borders will be considerably reduced, and logistics costs for companies will decrease, which will rapidly increase the competitiveness of Romanian products and services on the European market. Romania’s attractiveness to foreign investors will also increase considerably”, the head of state also said. “It is a historic decision, a victory for justice and national dignity and a clear signal that we will never accept being second-class citizens in Europe,” PM Marcel Ciolacu also stressed. “It is, above all, a triumph of all Romanians, regardless of their political choice or social situation, a victory for teamwork,” the PM added. The European Commission welcomed the unanimous decision of the JHA Council, noting that “The full accession of both countries not only strengthens the Schengen Area, but will further consolidate the internal market, increase travel, trade and tourism. A solid Schengen Area strengthens the unity of the EU and makes the EU stronger on a global scale.” The embassies of several partner countries have congratulated Romania for its full Schengen accession.
Government. Negotiations continue in Parliament to define a government programme for the pro-European coalition. The talks are taking place between the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, as well as the ethnic minorities group. According to the negotiations so far, the new cabinet would have only 15 or 16 ministers at most, and a small number of state secretaries. The distribution of these positions among the coalition parties is yet to be decided. The structure of the new government should be finalised by the end of the week. In addition, the coalition party leaders are also to decide on how the new parliamentary majority will operate and who will take over the leadership of the two chambers. The new parliament is due to convene next Friday for a first session, in which the new senators and deputies will be validated.
Visit. The Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, paid an official visit to The Hague, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on Thursday, at the invitation of his counterpart Ruben Brekelmans. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, during the bilateral meeting, they discussed the deepening of cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense, as well as the coordination of efforts within NATO and the EU to strengthen security. A priority topic on the discussion agenda was the preparation of the NATO Summit in The Hague, scheduled for 2025, with the two ministers analyzing the ways of implementing the decisions adopted to strengthen the Eastern flank of the Alliance. They also discussed concrete support measures for Ukraine, in the context of the Russian aggression, and the essential role of NATO-EU cooperation. During the meeting, the ministers also addressed the challenges generated by hybrid threats to European security, emphasizing the importance of strengthening national resilience and international coordination to deal with them. In this context, the importance of supporting the Republic of Moldova in its European integration efforts was affirmed. Industrial cooperation in the field of defense was another important topic of the meeting, and the opportunities for the development of joint projects were highlighted.
Salaries. In Romania, net average wages per month in October reached around EUR 1,050, up 12.3% compared to the corresponding month in 2023, the National Statistics Institute announced on Thursday. The highest values were reported in the IT&C sector, and the lowest in the textile industry. According to the Institute, average net earnings increased in October compared to September in most economic sectors. In the public sector, in October, salary increases were operated in education and public administration. In healthcare and social assistance, average net earnings decreased slightly compared to the previous month.
Inflation. The annual inflation rate in Romania rose to 5.11% in November, as against 4.67% in October. Compared to November 2023, food prices rose by 5%, and services by over 7.5%, according to the National Statistics Institute. The National Bank of Romania has revised upwards its inflation forecast for the end of the year, to 4.9%.
Football. The Romanian football champions, FCSB, are taking on the German side Hoffenheim tonight in Sinsheim, in the 6th round of the Europa League group stage. With three wins, a draw and a defeat, FCSB has 10 points and is in 10th place. The Romanian champions hope for another victory, which will improve their chances to rank among the top 8 teams qualified straight into the round of 16. Hoffenheim has 5 points, with one win, two draws and two defeats, and is in 25th place, one place below the play-off qualification zone.
