November 16, 2013
For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.
Florentin Căpitănescu, 16.11.2013, 12:04
The decentralization draft law was submitted to Parliament after previously obtaining the approval of the centre-left Government. Healthcare, education, environment, culture and sports are some of the areas targeted by the bill. Next week the Government will seek Parliament’s vote of confidence over the bill. Criticized in its current form by the Opposition, the decentralization draft law, which Prime Minister Victor Ponta wants to come into force as of January 1, 2014 is considered a major step in the run-up to administrative regionalization, one of the most ambitious projects in post-communist Romania.
Negotiations continue in Bucharest between Health Ministry representatives and trade unions. Unionists say medical staff will go on strike on November 25, and on an all-out, indefinite strike as of November 28. Their main demands are the earmarking of 6% of the country’s GDP to healthcare, a law guaranteeing professional independence, a law specific to the salaries in the medical system and better working conditions. Over the last few weeks, healthcare employees have been staging protests and pickets of the Government and Health Ministry headquarters.
Romania’s rugby team is today playing Canada at home as part of a series of three friendly matches. Last week Romania outscored Tonga 19-18 at home. In the third match, scheduled on November 23, Romania will go up against Fiji. The objective of Romania’s national team is to qualify to the 2015 World Cup to be held in London.
Romania’s national team on Friday lost away from home to Greece 3-1 as part of the first leg of the 2014 World Cup playoffs. The return leg will be played on Tuesday in Bucharest. Romania last qualified to the World Cup in 1998 and hasn’t played in the playoffs since 2001. In the current campaign Romania finished Group D in 2nd place, after the Netherlands but ahead of Turkey, Hungary, Estonia and Andorra.
The Romanian-American Business Council is trying to persuade the US Congress that Romania should be part of the Visa Waiver Program. Council chairman Eric Stewart told Radio Romania he had several meetings with US Congressmen, explaining that the current visa regime hinders US business in Romania. The Romanian-American Business Council also includes such members as Chevron, Exxon Mobile or Johnson&Johnson. The prospective accession of Romania to the Visa Waiver Program was also discussed during Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s visit to Washington last month.
A Hungarian tribunal has given final rulings to 25 people involved in the 2009 scandal in which Romanian handballer Marian Cozma was killed. The prison sentences range between 8 months and 2 years, of which some are suspended sentences. In a separate court case, two of the murderers received 18-months prison sentences, and another one 13 years. Marian Cozma was stabbed to death in February 2009 in a bar in the Hungarian city of Veszprem. His death stirred a huge public outrage, both in Romania and in neighbouring Hungary.
Bucharest on Saturday marked the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Hundreds of people lit candles in the Bucharest city centre in the memory of those who were killed in road accidents. In 2012 over 2,000 people fell victim to car accidents in Romania. At global level 1.3 million people die in similar accidents. The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims has been marked by the UN since 2005.
