October 30
A roundup of news from Romania.
România Internațional, 30.10.2013, 14:01
Budget revision The Romanian government is today going to endorse the second budget rectification this year. The main figures of the draft rectification have been discussed and agreed upon with representatives of the International Monetary Fund. With revenues to the budget being lower than estimated, most ministries will get less money. The center-right wing opposition criticizes the reallocation of funds saying that the Romanians’ living standard might be affected. We’ll revert to the issue after the news.
Teachers’ protests Romanian education unionists call on government members to have a meeting with them today, the last day of their protests, in order to discuss the solutions they deem necessary for improving the educational system. Their most important demand is that at least 6% of the GDP be allocated for education. Also today, the Cartel Alfa trade union confederation has picketed the government headquarters. Their main claims are related to the present law of social dialogue, the minimum wage and the lack of a substantial social dialogue between trade unions and state authorities.
Innovation fair The vice-president of the European Commission and the commissioner for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes and the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Romanian Dacian Ciolos are attending the first Future Communities — Open Innovation Fair in Bucharest over October 30th — November 1st. For three days, participants will become familiar with the latest technologies for the development of communities and will debate innovating ideas which can help turn pilot-programmes into policies adopted at national and European level. Biblionet, one of the organizers of the event, has endowed 2,300 libraries with IT&C equipment and software and has provided training in computer operation and library management for over 3,000 librarians.
Romania-EU Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Liviu Dragnea, Minister of Regional Development and Public Administration is today attending the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The Romanian Minister will address the Congress and will have meetings with Herwig van Staa, chairman of the Congress and Jean-Claude Mignon, president of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is a consultative body made up of local and regional officials or clerks responsible to them, meeting once a year. The congress represents more than 200,000 authorities from 47 European countries.
Film The national cinematography centers of France and Romania have strengthened their cooperation in film production and distribution on the occasion of the Festival “Cannes Films in Bucharest”. FP reports that the accord concluded by the two centers benefits the Romanian film industry which is extremely appreciated abroad and entirely neglected at home. Though in recent years, Romanian productions have reaped grand prizes at such famed festivals as the Cannes and Berlin festivals, under-funding continues to erode the Romanian film industry. FP reports that the so-called new Romanian wave includes young directors like Cristian Mungiu, Corneliu Porumboiu, Cristi Puiu and Calin Peter Netzer.
Tennis Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has defeated Russian Anastasia Pavliucenkova, WTA seed 26 8-3, 6-3 in the Champions’ Tournament in Sofia with 750,000 dollars worth of prize money. It is the Romanian player’s fourth win over Pavliucenkova, whom she has recently beaten in the semifinals of the Moscow tournament. In the next game, Simona Halep will meet Alize Cornet of France. Halep, aged 22 and seeded 14th in the world standings has this year won five WTA tournaments.
