October 29, 2018

Romania lost around 2 billion Euro in transportation overhaul funds; Tennis star Marius Copil makes a 33 position leap in world standings

România Internațional, 29.10.2018, 13:33

BUCHAREST — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will not be attending the Tuesday trilateral meeting between the heads of state of Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria, scheduled to take place in Vienna. The meeting was canceled for objective reasons by the Austrian side, according to the Presidential Administration. The meeting was meant for the three heads of state to make a united front in terms of their vision of the future of the EU.

FUNDING – Romania has lost between 1.8 and 2 billion Euro in European funds earmarked for transportation, an area sensitive for the country, according to European Commissioner Corina Cretu, in charge of regional policies. She was taking part in a conference entitled EuroImpact — the Impact and Results of the Cohesion Policy on Romania. Experience in accessing Funding and Implementation of Financed Projects, organized by the European Institute in Romania. Corina Cretu said that Romania has, for this financial cycle, a total of around 31 billion Euro, including funding for agriculture.

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Christian Democratic leaders that she would no longer candidate in December to be head of the party, according to a source at the top of the party, confirming information in the press. 64 year-old Merkel has been the chairman of her party since 2000. Her giving up this candidacy triggers elections for chancellor within the party. This announcement, which has brought down the Euro, comes one day after the main ruling coalition parties in Germany suffered major losses in local elections in Hessa, the state which is home to Frankfurt, considered the countrys financial capital. Even though the Christian Democrats are still the most important political force in the country, with 27% support among voters, this is their worst election result since 1996. The big winners were the Greens and the Alternative for Germany, the nationalist and anti-migration party which right now is represented in all local parliaments.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Marius Copil, the best Romanian male tennis player at the moment, made a spectacular leap forward in the ATP standings, from 93rd to 60th, after playing in the finals in the tournament in Basel, Switzerland. On Sunday, Copil was defeated 7-6, 6-4 by Swiss player Roger Federer, third in the world, in the competition with around 2 million dollars in prize money at stake. Copil had a remarkable climb in the standings in this tournament, eliminating two top 10 players, Croat Marin Cilic and German Alexander Zverev. Romanian Simona Halep is still number one in the world in the womens standings. She took that title for the first time in October 2017.

EPIDEMIC — A new outbreak of African swine fever was confirmed today in the southern county of Teleorman, according to animal health authorities in Bucharest. So far, over one thousand outbreaks have been confirmed in 15 counties, resulting in the culling of 350,000 animals. Romania called on the EU for support in compensating the owners of the animals that were killed. We recall that swine fever is not transmissible to humans, but has a significant economic impact. The first outbreak was in July 2017.

HANBALL — Romanias national mens handball team was defeated 31-21 on Sunday in Cluj by French standing champions in the preliminaries of the 2020 European Championship. In the previous Group 6 game Portugal defeated Lithuania away from home, 24-23. Portugal and France are first on the tables, with 4 points each, followed by Lithuania and Romania, with no points. The next game for Romania was that against Lithuania, scheduled for April 2019.

LABOR — Trade unionists at the Bucharest metro train are today resuming negotiations with the administration around the Collective Labor Contract, which has expired on Saturday, October 27. At the failed talks on Friday, the unionists main demand was 42% higher salaries and better working conditions. They threaten a general strike after November 10. The management of the administration of the metro system in Bucharest claims that this salary rise is impossible, as well as illegal. In addition, the management points out that salaries have grown by at least 10% every year in 2015, 16, and 17.