September 22, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 22.09.2024, 19:00

UN. On September 24 and 25, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will head the Romanian delegation to the high-level segment of the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), which will take place in New York. The central theme of the session is “Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for everyone everywhere”. According to a press release from the Presidential Administration, the Romanian head of state will speak on Wednesday, when he will plead for maintaining a multilateral dialogue, especially in the UN format, as an essential element of regional and global security. His speech will also highlight Romania’s efforts and contribution, at all levels, to solving current global issues, from security crises such as the war in Ukraine or the conflict in the Middle East, to major challenges for humanity, including the climate emergency or cyber threats.

Budget. Early next week, the Romanian Government is going to discuss a proposal for budget adjustment presented by the Ministry of Finance, even if it is based on the increase in revenues and spending that will lead to a deficit of 2% above the estimate made by authorities early this year. The economic growth forecast was also revised from 3.4 to 2.8% of the GDP. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu gives assurances that the adjustment is sustainable because 84% of the deficit represents expenses for investments. According to the draft ordinance, health, transport and education receive additional funds. Social insurance budgets are also increased for the payment of recalculated pensions, but also for unemployment benefits and related social insurance contributions. On the other hand, other main authorizing officers will have smaller budgets. These include the General Secretariat of the Government, the Ministry of the Economy, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, the Special Telecommunications Service, but also the Ministry of Development.

Flooding. The floods in Budapest reached their peak on Saturday, with a maximum flow of the Danube of 8,200 m3/s. The river burst its banks, the streets and buildings near the embankment were flooded, and the water reached the Parliament building. The flow of the Danube at the entrance to Romania is currently increasing. It is estimated that the flood will reach the Romanian sector on September 28-29 and will reach values of about 9,000 cubic meters per second. The representatives of the National Administration of Romanian Waters say that, for comparison, in 2006, the Danube had a flow of 15,600 cubic meters per second at the entrance to the country. The Romanian authorities in the towns along the river are taking measures to prevent possible floods. The dikes have been checked, and the town halls are preparing materials and means of intervention. We recall that the recent floods have caused huge material damage and killed several people in Romania, Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic. The European Commission has promised an emergency aid of 10 billion euros for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe affected by the floods.

AgriFish. The Romanian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin-Ionuţ Barbu, will attend the AgriFish Council in Brussels on Monday, the main points on the agenda being the situation of the agricultural markets, especially as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, and the balance of the second year of implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plans. Ministers will also exchange views on the future EU-UK annual consultations on fishing opportunities for 2025, as well as on the EU-Norway and coastal states annual consultations for the following year. At the same time, the Council will submit for debate a Commission proposal to update the fishing possibilities related to the years 2024 and 2025 for certain fish stocks, to take into account the latest scientific opinions and the events of the last period.

Israel. The EU is “extremely concerned” about the escalation in Lebanon, after the recent bloody attacks, calling for an “urgent” cease-fire, the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell said on Sunday. “Civilians are the ones paying a high price” as “heavy fighting” continued on Sunday in both Israel and Lebanon, the European official said. A military “escalation” is not in the “interest” of Israel, warned, on the same day, a the White House spokesperson John Kirby. He told the ABC television channel that the US had “directly” conveyed that to the “Israeli counterparts” and estimated that there’s still “space” for a “diplomatic solution” to the conflict. On the other hand, the Israeli authorities promised to restore calm in the north of Israel so that tens of thousands of people who fled the violence could return to their homes. Tensions have risen considerably in recent days, with dozens dead and thousands injured in Lebanon, caused by a series of explosions blamed on Israel that targeted the pagers and then the walkie-talkies of Hezbollah members on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Israeli military air force launched on Saturday night and continued on Sunday the most intense bombardment of the last year on southern Lebanon, saying they hit about 290 targets, destroying, among other things, several thousand rocket launchers of the Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah, Reuters reports. For its part, Hezbollah announced that it had launched rockets at a military industrial complex in Haifa, in northern Israel, and at the Ramat David base of the Israeli military aviation – the most distant target inside Israeli territory since the start of hostilities.

Bucharest Days. Bucharest Days, an event that marks 565 years since the city was first documented, were celebrated this weekend with concerts, theater shows, acrobatics and animation shows, installations and art exhibitions, as well as various interactive activities for children. Bucharest Street Food Festival – a special edition by iMapp, the biggest street food event in Europe, brought to the Constitution Square dishes from more than 10 international cuisines, inviting participants to discover and enjoy them. More than 50 food trucks offered an impressive variety of culinary preparations. The atmosphere was maintained by DJs and live concerts. The National Radio Orchestra, conducted by Cristian Spătaru, together with soprano Valentina Naforniţa, marked the end of the twelfth edition of the festival with a classical music concert. (MI)