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December 30, 2016 UPDATE

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has endorsed Social Democrat Sorin Grindeanu as Prime Minister/ The European countries ramp up security for New Year, after the Berlin terror attack

Newsroom, 30.12.2016, 12:30

PRIME MINISTER – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed the decree designating Social-Democrat Sorin Grindeanu, for the position of Prime Minister. This is the second proposal made by the newly elected ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, after the first nominee, Sevil Shhaideh, was not endorsed. Sorin Grindeanu, 43, is the president of Timis County Council and was Minister of Communication in the Ponta cabinet. Grindeanu has ten days to form his cabinet, which will be sworn in after a vote in Parliament.

UNEMPLOYMENT – The unemployment rate in 2017 is expected to go down from 4.8% to 4.6%, as announced by the National Prognosis Commission. It is expected for the south-western region of Oltenia to have the highest unemployment rate, 7.7%. The capital Bucharest and its surrounding county will have the lowest unemployment rate, 1.6%, down from 1.7% in 2016. The Commission also announced the unemployment rate is expected to drop in the following years, with figures like 4.4% in 2018, and 4.3% in 2019.

REIMBURSEMENT – Romania has to pay over 1.26 billion Euro in 2017 for loans contracted with the EU and the World Bank as part of the stand-by agreement drawn in 2009, as announced by the Finance Ministry. This year, Romania paid 113 million Euro back to the EU and the World Bank. Bucharest has over 4.7 billion Euro to pay back to the two institutions by 2023.

MIGRANTS – Almost 300 foreign nationals found to be illegally in Romania have been identified by the police in December. According to the General Inspectorate for Migration, 60 of them have been notified to leave the country, while 115 have applied for one form or another of international protection. Also in December, 27 people have been escorted off Romanian territory. Several companies have been fined for violating employment legislation applying to foreign workers.

US-RUSSIAN RELATIONS – The United States has decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats in response to cyber attacks intended to interfere in presidential elections, as well as harassment of American diplomats in Moscow. Access was blocked for Russian diplomats at two of their locations in New York and Maryland. At the same time, a Kremlin spokesperson said that Russia will have a response, bearing in mind that the decision was made by President Obama and not by Donald Trump, who takes office in three weeks. Trump said that the claims that Russia interfered in the US elections were ridiculous.

TURKEY – The Constitutional Committee with the Turkish
Parliament on Friday passed a bill to change the fundamental law of the
country, granting enhanced powers to the president, Reuters, quotes the Anadolu
Turkish news agency as saying. The legislature has to pass the bill, which then
goes to a referendum to be held no later than spring next year.

TIGHTENED SECURITY– The European countries ramp up security for New Year, after the Berlin terror attack, which left 12 people dead and scores of injured. In Brussels, additional riot police forces will be deployed, but the New Year fireworks show will not be cancelled, in spite of a terror alert. In Madrid, a driving ban has been imposed for heavy trucks and coaches. In Italy, the authorities have taken special measures, particularly in the crowded areas which attract a large number of tourists, against the backdrop of warnings that several foreign fighters have arrived or will soon arrive in the Peninsula to carry out attacks. In Berlin, the police closed the square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to deploy additional armed officers, with armoured vehicles likely to flank concrete barriers blocking off the area. In Paris, heavily armed soldiers will patrol the city centre and popular Paris tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre Museum, as well as Champs Elysee, where hundreds of thousands are expected to the traditional midnight fireworks show. (Translated by D. Vijeu)