October 26, 2021

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 26.10.2021, 13:55

Covid-19. The epidemiological situation remains
complicated in Romania, as more than 16,700 new cases and 523 new fatalities,
including 12 recorded earlier, were reported in the last 24 hour, according to official data published on Tuesday. These are the second highest figures since
the start of the pandemic, with the highest being recorded on 19th
October. Amid this dramatic situation, an increasing number of people are getting
the Covid vaccine. More than 93,000 received their first jab in the last 24
hours, which is a record high. The total number of fully jabbed people in this
country is now nearing 6 million.

Treatment. The European Commission established a portfolio of ten
potential therapeutics for Covid-19. These will become available across the
European Union as fast as possible, provided their safety and effectiveness are
confirmed by the European Medicines Agency. The list of ten is divided into
three categories of treatments: antiviral monoclonal
antibodies that are most efficacious in the earliest stages of infection; oral
antivirals for use as quickly as possible after the infection; and
immunomodulators to treat hospitalised patients. According to the EU
Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides, four joint
procurement contracts for different Covid-19 treatments have already been
signed.

State visit. Romanian president
Klaus Iohannis will be travelling to Egypt tomorrow on a state visit at the
invitation of his counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The
visit comes against the backdrop of very good bilateral dialogue in recent
years and the anniversary of 115 years of diplomatic relations between Romania
and Egypt. The two presidents are expected to discuss concrete ways to boost
political and diplomatic dialogue and cooperation at all levels, including
economic, by stimulating trade exchanges and investments. Talks will also look
at international issues, with emphasis on the latest political and security
developments in the Middle East and the mediation efforts in certain areas of
interest to both parties. Iohannis is also due to meet the speaker of the
Egyptian Parliament’s Chamber of Representatives, Hanafy Ali El-Gebaly, and the
speaker of the Senate, Abdel-Wahab Abdel-Razeq.

Politics. Prime minister designate Nicolae Ciucă has
so far failed to secure parliamentary support for a minority government formed
by the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
Romania. The Social Democrats made their support conditional on the new
government’s committing to implement ten urgent measures in the healthcare and
economic sectors. The Save Romania Union is not in favour of a minority
government and is proposing instead the restoration of the ruling coalition it
used to be part of from last December until September this year, when it
withdrew from government over a conflict with prime minister Florin Citu. Citu went on to lose a confidence vote in Parliament. Nicolae
Ciucă has until the end of the week to propose a new government and programme.

Budget deficit.
Romania’s budget deficit hit 3.77% of GDP in the first 9 months of the year,
down 2.6% compared with the similar period last year. Budget revenues grew by
18.7% in the first nine months of this year, more than over the same period
last year, according to the finance ministry. Consolidated budget expenditure
went up by 6.7% compared with the same period in 2020. (CM)