December 23, 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 23.12.2019, 13:36
COMMEMORATION – Religious and military ceremonies commemorating the 40 gendarmes killed on December 23rd, 1989, have been held at the Otopeni Airport, near Bucharest. Just one day after dictator Ceausescu lost power, they were killed by the forces that were protecting the airport, who though the gendarmes were terrorists. They had been actually sent there to enforce defense around the airport.
GOVERNMENT – For the first time in Romania, the Government is assuming responsibility before parliament for the state budget and social security budget bills. Also, the government wants to assume responsibility for the changes brought to Emergency Decree no.114, which introduced additional fees and taxes for companies in the fields of energy, telecommunications and banks. In an interview on Radio Romania, PM Ludovic Orban said that assuming responsibility before Parliament was the only way for the budget to be adopted by December 31st. Orban has given assurances that the salaries of state employees will go up next year, and has presented some decisions regarding budget savings, including a 30% cut of subsidies for political parties and banning the aggregation of both pensions and salaries in the public sector. Unhappy with the Liberals decision, the Social Democrats are getting ready to challenge it at the Constitutional Court.
DEPRECIATION – Most CFA analysts in Romania estimate a depreciation of the Romanian currency in the coming 12 months, down to the value of 4.8633 lei per one Euro, and an average inflation rate of 3.52%, as indicated by Novembers Macroeconomic Confidence Indicator, published today. CFA Romania is one of the most important local professional organizations bringing together investment professionals from banking, asset management, insurance, private equity, pension funds and other different fields of the investment industry and is a member of the CFA Institute Global Network of Societies. It has some 240 members in Romania. The indicator was launched in Romania in May 2011 and aims at quantifying anticipations of the financial analysts on economic activity in Romania for a time horizon of one year.
STRIKE – The French Government is to announce today a calendar of negotiations with the striking trade unions, which have not dropped their protest against the pension reform, despite the call for responsibility launched by president Emmanuel Macron. The head of state has appealed to transport unions to suspend strikes that threaten to bring travel chaos over the Christian holidays. “Strike action is justifiable and protected by the Constitution, but I believe there are moments in the life of a nation when it is also good to call a truce out of respect for families and family life”, the French president has said.
ELECTION – In Croatia, the former prime-minister Zoran Milanovici, a candidate for the Social Democratic Party, got the largest number of votes in Sundays elections and, in the second round, he will run against the current president of the country, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, on January 5th. Milanovici, who was voted by 30% of those who came to the polls, has said that he will fight to defend the interests of those caring about their country. “Its taken us 15 years to achieve Croatias unity, dont let it fall apart”, said in turn Kolinda Grabar Kitarovici, who got some 27% of the votes. According to data made public by the State Electoral Committee, the turnout in Sundays presidential elections in Croatia was 51%.
WEATHER – Weather in Romania is unsettled in most regions and unusually warm for this time of the year. It is raining in the south and west, and mixed precipitations are reported in the mountain areas. A warning of heavy rain, gusty winds and snow is in place until Tuesday evening. Rain showers will cover extended areas across the country, and it will continue to snow especially in the Carpathians. The Romanian Police Inspectorate has announced that, due to strong winds, maneuvers in all the ports of Constanta, on the Black Sea Coast, have been stopped. The highs of the day range from 5 to 15 degrees Centigrade, with a 13 degree reading in Bucharest at noon.
