The Week in Review 13-19 October
A roundup of the week's main stories
România Internațional, 18.10.2014, 20:12
President Traian Basescu attends the Europe-Asia Summit
Chaired by the European Council President, Herman Van Rompuy, and by the European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, the Europe-Asia Summit in Milan, Italy, gathered 53 heads of state and government from both continents, including Romania’s president Traian Basescu. The summit was an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues important for both Europe and Asia. Together, the two continents make up for half of the world’s GDP and 60% of the global trade. The meeting focused on economic cooperation and occasioned a number of bilateral talks on finding solutions to the Ukrainian crisis and the delivery of Russian gas to Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also approached these two sensitive issues on Thursday. According to President Putin’s spokesperson, opinions continue to be divergent as to the origin of the Ukraine conflict and the reasons that led to the current situation in the region. On Thursday, Vladimir Putin held talks with Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko in the presence of European leaders.
The government takes fresh social protection measures
In Romania child benefits for 500,000 children from over 280,000 low-income families will be doubled as of November 1. The minister for labour and social protection Rovana Plumb explained that this was part of a family support allowance on top of the standard child benefit granted to all children in Romania. The family support allowance is granted to families whose net income per family member is below 530 lei, the equivalent of 120 euros. The government has also increased the allowance for foster children and has doubled the food allowance for 60,000 children institutionalized children or children placed in foster care. The minister has also announced the doubling of daily food allowances for adults with disabilities or in care homes as of next year. Previously, the leftist government in Bucharest promised to increase, as of 2015, the gross minimum wage by almost 10% to reach 975 lei, the equivalent of 222 euros, pensions by 5% and disability allowances by 16%.
New corruption scandals break out in Romania
The National Anti-corruption Directorate investigates the illegal return of thousands of hectares of forestland, which caused the Romsilva National Forestry Authority over 300 million euros worth of damages. Suspects include the Social Democrat MPs Ioan Adam, Viorel Hrebenciuc and Ilie Sarbu, as well as the illegitimate son of King Carol II of Romania, Prince Paul and his wife. Search warrants have been issued this week in the Microsoft case, which refers to the purchase of IT licences for Romanian schools. Nine former ministers from both left and right wing parties are suspected of influence peddling, money laundering, abuse of office and bribe taking. Prosecutors can now start the prosecution of the former communications minister, the Liberal Democrat MP Valerian Vreme. Several businesspeople as well as the former chief of Romania’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Catalin Harnagea, are suspects in the case. Also this week, the Social Democrat MP Miron Mitrea has been sentenced to 2 years in prison for bribe taking. The sentence can be appealed.
Ebola becomes a global concern
Tougher safety measures have been taken in Europe and the US due to the continuous spread of Ebola. With almost 9,000 people contaminated and some 4,500 killed, the most dangerous disease of the moment seems to have gone out of control. The Ebola virus has so far been detected in seven countries, that is Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal, which are the most affected, but also Spain and the US. As a precautionary measure, Romanian authorities have decided to allot 5.5 million euros to set up a mobile hospital in the proximity of Bucharest, where people potentially contaminated with Ebola can be treated.
Romania’s national football side needs a new manager
The Romanian Football Federation and the manager of the national side Victor Piturca terminated their contract amicably on Thursday evening. On the same evening, Piturca signed with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad, ranking 2nd in the Saudi championship. During his tenure, the Romanian side clinched two wins away, in Greece and Finland, and a draw against Hungary as part of the qualifying games for the 2016 European Championship. Romania now ranks second in Group F, a position, which secures their qualification to the final tournament.
