January 26, 2021

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 26.01.2021, 20:00

COVID-19 – 2,877 new Covid-19
infections have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours out of the 28
thousand tests carried out nation-wide, the Strategic Communication Group
announced on Tuesday. 97 fatalities have also been reported and roughly 8
thousand people infected are being treated in hospitals, out of whom 1,002 in
intensive care units. Over 700 thousand people have been infected on the
Romanian soil since the outbreak, and 90% of them have been cured. However, the
number of those infected with the new strain, initially identified in Britain, is
on the rise and some experts believe the new form is to gain momentum in
Romania in March. The national immunization campaign is in full swing in
Romania, which is currently seeing its second stage.

VACCINES – Romania wants vaccine certificates
not to affect freedom of travel in the EU, Romania’s Foreign Affairs Minister,
Bogdan Aurescu, said on Tuesday in a ceremony marking the launch of the six-month
Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Vaccination is
voluntary, and this should be an important factor, the Romanian official said.
Minister Aurescu pointed out that, right now, vaccinated people arriving in
Romania are not subject to quarantine. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa favors the idea that European citizens
holding vaccine certificates should travel freely. The idea is supported by
tourism-dependent countries, as well as Germany.

RECOMMENDATIONS
– The European Commission highly recommends member states to apply measures
aimed at restricting circulation in order to urgently curb the number of
travel-related infections and thus ease pressure on the healthcare institutions
dealing with the pandemic. According to the Commission, tests can be done
concurrently with implementing compulsory quarantine up to two weeks. Travelers
can also be required to fill in forms on their journeys and contacts. The
measures proposed by the EU executive are aimed at limiting the COVID-19
infections and also the virus mutations.

BUDGET – Leaders of the Social-Democratic Party in opposition
on Tuesday talked to the leaders of the main trade confederations about its
alternate state budget, which the Social-Democrats want to present publicly on
Wednesday. The Social-Democrats claim there are enough financial resources for
investments and the increase in salaries, pensions, even to accommodate the
doubling of state allowances for children. The Social-Democrats accuse the
coalition Government of promoting austerity policies, and have promised they
would also include the proposals of their social partners in their own
alternate budget. In turn, Liberal Prime Minister Florin Cîţu said the upcoming
budget is based on a 7% budget deficit, agreed upon with the European
Commission, and will focus on investments and healthcare. The Prime Minister
also said the Government is working on modifying the laws on pensions and the single
salary.

PROTESTS – Trade unions on Tuesday continued their
protests against the Government’s social policies. Since the start of this
month unionists have been protesting in front of the presidency, the Government
building and various ministries, demanding a decent minimum wage, fair
pensions, quality public services, the unblocking of collective negotiations,
fair taxes and the rightful enactment of laws. Protest actions staged by the
Cartel Alfa trade confederation, one of the biggest in Romania, are scheduled
until February 28, and also include memorandums, notifications, petitions or
talks with MPs. The Government in Bucharest says the demands should be taken
under advisement in the context of the crisis generated by the COVID-19
pandemic, also considering the budget must observe a deficit of 7%.

SURVEY – Six in ten Romanians (59%) believe the Diaspora’s main
contribution to Romanian economy consists of money sent to families back home,
while 21% say it is money spent during their visits to Romania, a recent survey
conducted by a company specializing in online money transfers reveals. According
to the survey, a Romanian sends home an average of €500 every month,
considering the income of someone working Great Britain or Spain is
approximately €2,000. World Bank figures reveal that Romanians sent home some
$7.2 billion in 2019, accounting for 3% of the country’s GDP. Still, only 20%
of Romanians believe people who’ve left the country contribute to the
development of local economy by means of investments upon their return home.
Moreover, 60% of Romanians believe people who left the country should return. (D.
Bilt & V. Palcu)