June 21, 2022 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 21.06.2022, 19:53

Legislation. The government has
proposed a new bill, which it has published for public debate, to postpone teh
payment of bank rates on loans for individuals and companies significantly
affected by the recent increase in prices, namely persons whose monthly average
expenses rose by at least 25% and companies whose monthly average returns
dropped by 25% as a result of price increases generated by the current crisis.
The conditions apply to the three months previous to the application for the
suspension of payment obligations, and compare with a similar period in 2021.
Private individuals are eligible without having to default or be subject to
foreclosure.

Three Seas Initiative. Ukraine needs
the support of the Three Seas Initiative and of the participant countries, said
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at a briefing at the end of the Three Seas
Initiative Forum held in Riga, Latvia. Polish president, Andrej Duda, announced
that Ukraine received the status of partner of the Tree Seas Initiative,
while Latvian President, Egils Levits, said Ukraine will be supported in its
bid to become a EU member state. Participants in the summit signed a joint
declaration showing their support for Ukraine in a number of sectors and the
intention to consolidate the Initiative.

Ukraine. Ukraine may need outside
assistance of up to 1.1 trillion euros to repair the damage caused by the
Russian invasion, said Werner Hoyer, the president of the European Investment
Bank, quoted by Bloomberg. He said Europe will have to play the biggest role
in rebuilding Ukraine. This assessment comes as EU leaders are preparing to
gather in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss reconstruction plans for
Ukraine and the latter’s bid to join the community bloc. According to France
Presse, the French foreign minister Clément Beaune, whose country is holding the
rotating presidency of the EU Council, said the 27 EU foreign ministers meeting
on Tuesday in Luxembourg reached full consensus on granting Ukraine EU
candidate status.

Baccalaureate. The baccalaureate exams
are under way in Romania, with the final test to be held on Thursday. Over 126,000
high school graduates have signed up for the exam, the lowest number since 1989.
On Tuesday, the Chamber of Deputies rejected a simple motion tabled by the Save
Romania Union, in opposition, against education minister Sorin Cimpeanu, whom
they blame for the disastrous situation of the Romanian education system, the
worrying increase in school dropout rates and the many changes in the way
students are assessed without any consultations with the parties involved.

Swimming. 17-year-old
Romanian swimmer David Popovici qualified for the finals of the 100 m freestyle
at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest with the best time of the semifinals,
47.13 seconds, breaking a new world junior record. On Monday evening, Popovici the world
title in the 200m free, Romania’s first world title in men’s swimming. Robert Glinţă, another Romanian swimmer, competed in the
100m backstroke final, finishing in 8th place. (CM)