November 2, 2017 UPDATE
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 02.11.2017, 19:55
CONFERENCE Romanian capital city Bucharest hosted the Conference of the Francophone Women devoted to entrepreneurship, which brought together 600 participants. Officials from 48 francophone countries have discussed for two days the womens rights and access to the labour market as well as their contribution to innovation and entrepreneurship. Recommendations were made to all the francophone governments and states so that equal chances may be ensured to women and men in the field of economy. The International Organisation of Francophony is working on an action plan aimed at granting women more autonomy as well as economic and financial independence the final scope being a strategy for equal chances in francophone countries. A special announcement was made in the end of the conference, namely the setting up of the francophone network of the entrepreneur women, which has its own on-line platform. The Bucharest Appeal has also been adopted, which is the meetings final statement.
ECONOMY According to Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, the fiscal measures announced by the government, including the transfer of social insurance contribution from employers to employees and cuts on the income tax, will complicate issues instead of solving them. He has called on the ruling PSD – ALDE coalition to prove responsibility and give up this type of fiscal policy, which generates distrust. Iohannis has recommended caution in terms of political and government decision, underlining the fact that Romania needs a sustainable policy. According to the president, Romania is passing a period of economic growth, which is based on consumption; he called into attention the fact that public and private investments have significantly dropped as compared to the same period last year. Trade unions in Romania are also dissatisfied mainly with the possible pay cuts that may appear after the transfer of social insurance contributions from employer to employee, after January 1st 2018.
ARREST WARRANT Spanish prosecutors have called for a Europe-wide arrest warrant for former Catalan Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers after they have declined to return to Spain to attend a court hearing for charges of sedition and rebellion. The prosecutors from the National Court (Audiencia Nacional) have asked that the arrest warrant may be sent to authorities in Belgium, a country where Carles Puigdemont told a news conference on Tuesday he wanted to remain so that he might not go to Spain and be tried by a justice system, which he described as politicized. Puigdemonts Belgian lawyer said the former Catalan prime minister would cooperate with the Spanish and Belgian authorities. A trial against Puigdemont and other members of his sacked cabinet has started in Madrid. Spains general prosecutor says that he has called for indictment for disobedience, rebellion, and embezzlement in the case of the sacked ministers and members of the former regional parliament who on October 27th voted for Catalonias unilateral declaration of independence. If found guilty, they can get prison sentences of up to 30 years. The executive in Madrid has taken direct control over Catalonia and called for snap election in the region on December 21st.
