December 2, 2018 UPDATE

For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here

Newsroom, 02.12.2018, 18:54

GREAT
UNION CENTENNIAL – Some 150,000 Romanians celebrated the Great Union Centennial in Alba
Iulia, with events ending with an open air concert. Some 450 events were held
all over the country on this occasion. Despite the freezing cold, tens of
thousands of people attended the military parades organized on Saturday in
Bucharest, Alba Iulia and Focsani. Attending the events, President Klaus
Iohannis said he was honored to be president in the year of the Great Union Centennial.
In turn, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila called for unity in her speech in
Focsani. The military parade in Bucharest was the largest event of its kind in
the last decades. Some 4,000 military, of whom 500 from 20 partner and allied
states, paraded in Bucharest. More than 200 pieces of military equipment were
presented to the public, while 50 aircraft flew over the capital city. The combat
equipment included for the first time the Patriot missile air-defense system
and the Piranha 5 armored vehicles which, starting this year, are being
manufactured in Romania. Millions of Romanians in the Diaspora celebrated the
National Day of Romania as well.

DANCILA – Prime Minister Viorica
Dancila on Monday is attending the Central-European Initiative Summit in Zagreb,
which marks the end of Croatia’s one-year term at the helm of this institution.
The Initiative was founded in 1989 as a regional inter-government forum engaged
in supporting European integration and sustainable development by means of
cooperation among member states and the EU, international and regional
organizations, as well as other public or private institutions and NGOs. The
main topic on Monday’s agenda is ensuring security, supporting the economy and
boosting progress. Italy on January 1, 2019 will take over the rotating
presidency. Attending the summit will be the president of the European Bank of
Reconstruction and Development and European Commissioner for Enlargement,
Johannes Hahn. On Tuesday, a business forum on the role of innovation in competitiveness
will be hosted by Croatia’s Chamber of Commerce on the sidelines of the summit.

BUSH – US Stock
Markets on Monday will observe a moment of silence in homage to the former US
President George H.W. Bush, who passed away on Friday aged 94. Stock markets
will be closed on Wednesday, declared a day of national mourning in the US.
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message of condolences to his
counterpart, Donald Trump. Iohannis said President Bush was a great leader and
statesman, whose political legacy holds tremendous importance for Eastern
Europe. Due to his efforts, Romania and other states from the former Soviet
bloc found their liberty and started the path towards European and
Euro-Atlantic integration. It was also Bush, Iohannis argues, who laid the
foundations of what was to become the Strategic Partnership between the United
States and Romania.

PENSION
LAW
– The new pension law could be passed in Parliament by the end of the year,
Labor Minister Marius Budai has announced. The Senate has already voted the
document and submitted it to the Chamber of Deputies for approval. Under the
new law, the pension point will be increased in stages until 2021. The minimum
period of contribution stays at 15 years, while MA and doctoral studies are now
removed from the standard period of contribution. At the same time, the periods
of early retirement were reduced from six years to 12 months for extraordinary
circumstances and from 2 years to 1 year for special circumstances. Women who’ve
completed their minimum period of contribution and given birth to three children
benefit from a six-year reduction of their early retirement age. The Government
assures there will be no drop in pensions.

PROTESTS – French
President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday called on Prime Minister Edouard Philippe
to receive leaders of Parliamentary parties and representatives of protesters after
Paris saw violent clashes between the riot police and protesters for the 3rd
weekend in a row as part of rallies caused by increased fuel prices. The
initiative reflects the Government’s constant concern for dialogue, the
presidency reports. During Sunday’s morning emergency meeting, the president
also called on the Interior Minister to see to the adjustment of the security
detail. The violent protests turned to street violence in Pairs, after the
peaceful protest was taken over by groups of hooligans looting stores and
setting cars and private lofts on fire. Emmanuel Macron promised the guilty
would be identified and brought to court. Over 100 people were injured and the
police detained some 400 people. The protest surfaced after the Government in
early October announced they would levy an environment tax on fuel starting
next year. Protesters also expressed disgruntlement with the low purchase power
and the increasing number of taxes.

HANDBALL – The Romanian
women’s handball team on Saturday grabbed its first win at the European
Championship in France, defeating the Czech Republic 31-28 in Group D. In the
other group fixture, Germany surprisingly defeated Norway 33-32. Romania will
next play Germany on Monday. The first three teams will advance to the main
group phase. This is the 13th time Romania takes part in the European
Championships. In 2015 our team ranked 5, while its best performance was in
2010 when they scooped bronze.

FOOTBALL – Romania will
play in Group F in the EURO 2020 preliminaries alongside Spain, Sweden, Norway,
the Faeroe Islands and Malta. National Arena stadium in Bucharest will be
hosting matches in the final tournament, three in the group phase and one round
of 16 match. The semi-finals and finals will be played in London on Wembley
stadium. The first two teams in each group will qualify to the European
Championship.

(Translated
by V. Palcu)