December 23, 2018 UPDATE

52% of Romanians have a positive image about the EU

Newsroom, 23.12.2018, 18:33

Tsunami – A tsunami killegd at least 222 people and injured hundreds on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra following an underwater landslide believed to have been caused by the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano, Reuters quoted officials as saying on Sunday. Hundreds of homes and other buildings were “heavily damaged” when the tsunami struck, almost without warning, along the rim of the Sunda Strait late on Saturday, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency, said. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate to higher ground. Coastal residents reported not seeing or feeling any warning signs on Saturday night, such as receding water or an earthquake, before waves of 2-3 meters (6-10 feet) washed ashore, according to media.

Paris – French President Emmanuel Macron called for “order” on Sunday after a sixth weekend of “yellow vest” anti-government protests marked by dwindling participation and a violent attack on police in Paris. Speaking during a visit to the central African state of Chad where he was visiting French troops serving in a counter-terrorism force Macron said: “There must be order now, calm and harmony. Our country needs it.” Prime Minister Edouard Philippe denounced the “incredible violence towards the police”. A man died in southern France, bringing the protests overall death toll to 10. The yellow vest protests began in mid-November against fuel tax increases, for higher wages, lower taxes, better pensions and easier university entry requirements. On Friday evening, the French Senate approved the measures which should come into force early next year.

1989 Revolution – Events commemorating the heroes of the December 1989 anti-communist Revolution continued in Romania. In the capital, commemoration events started at the monument in the Revolution Square and continued at the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, the Romanian Television and the Telephone Palace. The participants included revolutionaries, relatives of those who died, people who were in the army in 1989 and were called to defend the public institutions from what officials back then termed as terrorists. All orthodox churches in the country and abroad held a commemoration mass to honour the heroes who sacrificed themselves in December 1989. More than 1000 people died and some 3,400 were wounded in the shootings in Romania, the only country in the Eastern Bloc where the regime was toppled violently and the communist rulers were executed.

Eurobarometer – 52% of the Romanians have a positive image about the EU, as compared to 43% which is the European average. According to a Eurobarometer survey, the number of Romanians who have a positive image about the EU is on the rise and above the European average. Half of the Romanians trust the EU and belive that their voice counts in the EU, 56% of the Romanians have a positive view of the situation of the European economy, and 48% of Romanians are optimistic about the labour market situation. The survey also shows that most Europeans believe, for the first time, that their voice matters in the EU. Moreover, 20 years since the introduction of the single currency, support for the economic and monetary union and the Euro remains at a record high, with three quarters of the respondents in the Eurozone in favour of the single currency. On the other hand, immigration remains the main concern at EU level. It is mentioned twice more often than terrorism.

Ice hotel — The only ice hotel in Romania was opened on Sunday at Balea Lac in the Southern Carpathians. The official inauguration of the entire compound, to also include an ice church and several igloos will take place next February. The ice hotel, built entirely of ice blocks, is located at an altitude of 2034 meters. This year, the theme that has inspired the hotel’s decoration is Frozen Love, promoting love and passion for nature, fresh air and trekking in the winter season. A perfume inspired from this theme will also be launched. Bookings for tourists who want to experiment sleeping at minus 2 degrees Celsius were made months in advance, especially by Britons. The Ice Hotel has been built every year, starting 2005.

Security – During the holiday season, more than 8,500 policemen will ensure security all over Romania. Given the big number of Romanians aboard who come to spend their winter holidays at home and the number of Romanians who go outside the country borders at this time of the year, the Romanian Border Police has reminded that there is an application that those interested can use to see how traffic is at border checkpoints. The number of trains to and from the big Romanian cities and the mountain resorts has also been supplemented.

Employment — In Romania, the National Employment Agency (ANOFM) plans to integrate over 110 thousand unemployed people on the labour market, under a project co-financed by the European Social Fund, though the Human Capital Operational Programme 2014-2020. The budget allocated for this purpose exceeds 265 million euros, of which around 226 millions are non-repayable funds. The project will be implemented with the support of local employment agencies.

(Translated by Elena Enache)