May 13, 2022

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Newsroom, 13.05.2022, 13:55

AUTOMOBILES Starting today until the end of the month the second stage of a car-scrapping programme takes place in Romania, with the government providing substantial bonuses to people who buy new automobiles. The total budget is around EUR 60 million. The programme also covers the purchase of new electric or hybrid vehicles. The scrapping bonus is EUR 1,200 for petrol-powered car purchases and EUR 10,000 for EV purchases. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Romania is a European leader in promoting EV sales. In the first quarter of this year more than 2,000 electric cars were sold, accounting for a 400% increase since the corresponding period of 2021.

INFLATION The Romanian Central Bank has updated its inflation forecast to 12.5% for end-2022 and to 6.7% for end-2023, governor Mugur Isarescu announced on Thursday. In February, the central bank estimated inflation would stand at 9.6% at the end of 2022 and at 3.2% at the end of 2023. According to the national bank, in the context of adverse developments related to the war in Ukraine, substantial reconfigurations of previous economic scenarios cannot be ruled out.

CORRUPTION The former mayor of Bucharest Sorin Oprescu Friday received a final 10-year and 8-month prison sentence for bribe-taking, forming an organised crime group and abuse of office. Sorin Oprescu was caught taking EUR 25,000 and arrested on the night of September 6, 2015, during his second term in office as mayor of Bucharest. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, the group created by Oprescu had implemented a system at the City Hall through which businesses seeking contracts with public institutions had to pay a share of their profits in bribes.

NATO The USA supports the NATO accession of Finland and Sweden, in spite of Moscows threat to retaliate over a new enlargement of the Alliance. NATO officials reminded Russia that this is a defensive alliance and that the decision of previously neutral countries to seek protection within the organisation has been prompted exclusively by Moscows aggression on Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry said Finlands accession would severely affect bilateral relations and the stability and security of Northern Europe, forcing Russia to take counter-measures to offset possible threats to its national security. The Russian fleet in the Baltic Sea initiated manoeuvres to survey NATOs forces in the region on Thursday, the exact day when Finland announced its decision to join NATO. The accession may be announced officially in the Allies summit in Madrid this summer.

UKRAINE The US accuses the Russian army of having forcibly transferred thousands of Ukrainians to Russia since the start of the war, often using “filtration camps”. Kyiv speaks about 1.2 million people deported so far. Meanwhile, Ukraines deputy PM Iryna Vereshchuk said on Thursday night that negotiations over the evacuation of troops from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol are ongoing, with Turkey brokering the talks. The first to be pulled out will be the severely wounded. The Ukrainian fighters in Azovstal plant reported that nearly 600 wounded soldiers are in the steel works, but their number goes up every day as a result of steady attacks. Russian forces continue to shell the east of Ukraine, but according to the British defence ministry they have so far failed to make significant progress.

MUSEUMS The Night of Museums will be celebrated with over 200 cultural events on Saturday night in 87 towns and cities in Romania. More than 60 cultural sites and unconventional spaces will stay open in Bucharest in the largest such event since the pandemic. The Bucharest City Hall will be opened to visitors, with events showcasing the history and architecture of the palace hosting it. Some of the most popular tourist sites in Romania, such as Bran Castle, Peleş Castle and Făgăraş Citadel, have also prepared surprises for their guests. The European Night of Museums is an event that takes place across Europe.

EUROVISION Romanias representative in the Eurovision song contest, WRS, Thursday night qualified into this years final of the European competition, with a song called “Llámame”. Romania had failed to qualify to the finals in the previous 3 editions of the competition. On Tuesday the band Zdob si Zdub and Advahov Brothers, representing the Republic of Moldova, also moved up into the finals hosted by the Italian city of Turin this Saturday night. (AMP)