March 19, 2015

For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.

Newsroom, 19.03.2015, 12:00

SPRING SESSION — Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is taking part for two days in the European Council’s Spring Session scheduled to take place in Brussels. The agenda of the session focuses on topics such as strengthening energy security and foreign relations. Before leaving, the head of state said Romania supported the setup of an energy union framework based on the 5 dimensions proposed by the European Commission: energy security, a single internal energy market, energy efficiency, environment protection as well as research, innovation and energy competitiveness. The Eastern Partnership, the crisis in Ukraine, relations with the Russian Federation and other foreign policy hot topics, such as the developments in Libya, also rank high on the agenda of the European Council Spring Session, president Klaus Iohannis also said.

FISCAL CODE — The draft fiscal code will be finalized at the end of the week. It will be subsequently debated by the Government and adopted on Wednesday, jointly with the Fiscal Procedure Code. The document will be tabled to Parliament for debate next week. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Victor Ponta in today’s Government session. The two documents have been the object of public debate in the last month. Under the new code, the Government wants to ease taxation for the population and businesses. The most important changes are cutting VAT from 24% to 20% starting next year and to 18% starting 2019, eliminating the tax on special constructions, maintaining the flat tax and slashing it to 14% starting 2019. The new fiscal provisions will come into effect starting January 2016.

CORRUPTION — The National Anti-Corruption Directorate has called on Parliament to greenlight the pre-emptive arrest of MP Theodor Nicolescu, a member of the Liberal Party in opposition. Nicolescu is facing allegations of bribe-taking and abuse of office in a court case regarding the illegal refunds granted for overpriced buildings, which brought the state a prejudice of nearly 75 million euros. Prosecutors say that in 2007, during his term as vice-president of the National Authority for Property Restitution, Theodor Nicolescu demanded and subsequently pocketed 5% of the total shares that people obtained by converting land compensation bonds. In exchange, Nicolescu would use his influence to ensure quick and favourable decisions for these people. In the same case, Horia Georgescu, the former head of the National Integrity Agency (ANI), has been placed under a pre-emptive 30-day arrest.

LEGISLATION — The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Wednesday adopted the draft law on the funding of the activity of political parties and election campaigns, aimed at bringing more transparency to how money is being spent in politics. Election campaigns will thus be financed from the state budget. Political parties and candidates may henceforth borrow money from natural and legal persons only based on a certificate issued by a notary public.

PROTESTS — Tens of coal miners employed by the Oltenia Energy Complex are still trapped underground. Since Tuesday, they have been protesting against the company’s planned reshuffle, which provides for massive layoffs. Meanwhile Oltenia’s board continues negotiations with trade unions regarding the collective bargaining agreement for 2015. Today, members of the negotiation committee are holding talks with Energy Minister Andrei Gerea in Bucharest. In another development, several hundreds of employees of the Cantacuzino Institute staged a large protest in front of the Government building. They are calling for their three-month-overdue salaries to be paid. The Cantacuzino Institute is Romania’s largest vaccine producer and one of the most appreciated institutions of its kind at European level. Over the last years the Institute is faced with a severe crisis after its production licenses have been withdrawn.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player WTA 3rd ranked Simona Halep has qualified to the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Indian Wells, California, totalling 5.4 million dollars in prize money. In the next round Halep will take on WTA 1st ranked Serena Williams of the US. In the quarterfinals, Halep eased past Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain in three sets, while Williams brushed aside Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland. Serena currently has a 4-1 lead in direct encounters with Simona. The Romanian player is for the second year in a row playing in the Californian tournament’s semi-finals. Also at Indian Wells, the pair made up of Romanian Florin Mergea and Dominic Inglot of Great Britain was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Marcin Matkowski of Poland and Nand Zimonjic of Serbia.

UKRAINE — US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have no intention to ease sanctions on Russia, in response to Moscow’s increased support to rebel militias in Eastern Ukraine. In a telephone conversation, the two leaders agreed that Moscow must first comply with all the obligations stipulated in the Minsk ceasefire agreement. Over 170 freight trucks from Russia carrying nearly 2,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid have today crossed the Ukrainian border, headed to the rebel-held separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Kiev has warned that the convoy’s crossing without the consent of the Ukrainian authorities is a breach of the terms of the agreement. Sources within the Ukrainian Security and Defence Council claim the freight trucks are transporting mostly weapons and ammunition.

STRIKE — The Lufthansa air pilots’ trade union has announced a new strike for medium- and short-ranged flights scheduled for tomorrow. The strike today is affecting long-track and cargo flights. Over 700 flights were grounded yesterday in Europe, of which eight on Otopeni International Airport bound to Munich and Frankfurt. The trade union is protesting against the company’s plans to lower the early retirement age for pilots to 55 years and to slash pensions to 60% of the base salary. Pilots are also protesting against the company’s policies, which they say are clearly favouring its low-cost branch.

GREECE — Greek Deputy Prime Minister Yannis Dragasakis has warned that Greece risks running out of cash unless it reaches a deal with its international lenders with a view to extending its financial assistance programme. According to the BBC, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is today meeting with German and French leaders but also with representatives of other EU institutions in a final and crucial attempt to push for a deal to secure funding.