February 5, 2024 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 05.02.2024, 19:56

TALKS Representatives of the Sanitas and Solidaritatea
Sanitară trade union federations on Monday held talks with Prime Minister
Marcel Ciolacu amid recent protests to discuss pay rise demands and staff
shortages. Talks are still underway but the government has pledged a 15% pay
rise besides the 5% indexation early this year. The Executive proposed to apply
the raise in two stages, one in March of 10% and another one in June of 5
percent. Representatives of the Solidaritatea Sanitara say they will continue
the talks with the government as well as their protests, which are to culminate
with a large-scale meeting in the Victory Square in Bucharest on March 11.
Trade unionists say the Romanian medical system is facing an acute staff
shortage, including nurses, paramedics and other auxiliary personnel. Health
Minister Alexandru Rafila has given assurances that a significant part of the
pay claims made by the protesters will be solved. He has also admitted to the
salary gaps in the Romanian hospitals.

AMBASSADOR Romania’s
former ambassador to Spain, George-Gabriel Bologan is to become presidential
advisor after Romanian president Klaus Iohannis signed his appointment on
Monday. George-Gabriel Bologan was Romania’s ambassador to Spain since 2022 and
also served as the country’s ambassador in Italy in 2016. The decision comes
after on January 30, Iohannis signed the resignation of foreign policy advisor
Bogdan Aurescu, who in November was elected judge of the UN International Court
of Justice for a mandate due to commence on February 6.

SWIMMING 19-year-old
Romanian swimmer Andrei Enache broke a new world record, winning the fastest
heat in the 250 m freestyle race, while Dragoş Ghile won the gold in the 100 m
butterfly race, also breaking the world record, on Sunday, on the final day of
the European Ice Swimming Championship hosted by the Romanian city of Oradea. Simona
Chiru won the silver medal in the women’s 50 m freestyle race, having come
first in Saturday’s final in the 100 m freestyle race and setting a new world
record. The water in the Olympic stadium in Oradea was 4.4 degrees Celsius.
This 1st edition of the European Ice Swimming Championship held
between 1st and 4th February brought together teams from
27 different countries. Romania was represented by 35 swimmers.

FARMERS The problems of farmers are to be discussed by
Euro MPs meeting this week in Strasbourg. They will assess the situation of
farmers and the prices of agricultural products amid protests in many EU
countries, including Romania. Farmers are worried about the Union’s
environmental and commercial policies and their alleged negative impact on
agriculture. Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is also to travel to Strasbourg
to attend the debates in the European Parliament on Wednesday. This series of
debates was launched in 2022, soon after the start of the war against Ukraine
and 12 such meetings with European leaders have taken place since then. The aim
is to reiterate European values and unity, to consolidate democratic debate on
current issues and to generate a consistent vision of the future of the
European project.

(bill)