The Week in Review 18 – 24 April
A roundup of the week's main stories
România Internațional, 23.04.2016, 12:39
Romanias Schengen accession might take place in two stages
The European Commission supports Romanias and Bulgarias Schengen accession, as both countries have clearly met all accession criteria. The statement was made by the EC President Jean – Claude Junker in Strasbourg, at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in response to a question raised by a Romanian MEP. According to diplomatic sources quoted by the Radio Romania correspondent in Strasbourg, the accession might take place in two stages, starting the second half of the year. Initially planned to take place in March 2011, Romanias joining the border-free area has been postponed several times, as some of the EU member states have voiced reservations about this countrys effectiveness in reforming the judiciary and fighting corruption. In the meantime, Bucharest authorities have repeatedly stressed that Romania fully meets all technical accession criteria.
The new Romanian labour minister is faced with many challenges
The salary law in the budget sector and the enforcement of the new provisions of the law on child-rearing leave and benefits are the main challenges facing the new labour minister Dragos Paslaru. A former economic adviser to Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, the 40-year-old minister Paslaru has replaced Ana Costea, who resigned following discontent voiced by trade unions with regard to the draft emergency law on salaries in the public sector. On Friday, at a stakeholders meeting, Prime Minister Ciolos explained that the salary law would not be changed for the time being and the Government would come up with a new proposal, aimed at making up for the inequities in the public salary system, in particular with regard to low salaries. Paslaru must also find solutions for the application of the new provisions of the law on child-rearing leave and benefits, which has been recently promulgated by the head of state. Under the new provisions, there will be no cap for the monthly child benefits, which used to stand at approximately 760 Euro. From now one, benefits will account for 85% of the incomes and are to be granted for a period of two years. The parents who decide to go back to work earlier, are entitled to an incentive of 50% of the minimum guaranteed benefits.
Trade unionists in the health-care, mining and energy sectors are protesting against the current financial situation
In Romania, trade unionists in the health-care sector have this week picketed prefects offices in several county seats and the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, asking for the elimination of unfair wage distribution in the medical system and a proper funding of the system. Protesters demand rules for the functioning of medical offices in schools and the allocation of 6% of the GDP for health. Equally disgruntled, dozens of miners and employees of the Oltenia Energy Complex, in southwestern Romania, marched 300 kms to Bucharest to voice their discontent. The energy minister Victor Grigorescu has stated that the government will find solutions to salvage the company. He has talked with management and employee representatives and together they have come up with a planned aimed at rendering the company more effective and restructuring the personnel scheme.
The liberals keep appointing candidates for the office of general mayor of Bucharest
Liberals, the main right-wing force in Romania, have just issued their fourth nomination for the general mayor candidate. The new candidate is the current leader of the partys Bucharest branch, former justice minister Catalin Predoiu. The previous proposals were the MEP Cristian Busoi, followed by the first-vice-president of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban, who renounced and also resigned from all party positions, as a result of him being investigated for corruption. The third nomination, that of Marian Munteanu, a former leader of the students movement during the anti-Communist revolution of 1989, was not too happy a choice either. Munteanu stepped back, rejecting however the allegation that he had collaborated with the former political police, the Securitate.
Ukrainian president Petro Porosenko pays a visit to Romania
On Thursday, Romanian authorities reiterated their support for Ukraines sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, on the occasion of the visit paid to Bucharest by the Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko. The Kiev leader met with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis and PM Dacian Ciolos. The two heads of state discussed, among other things, security developments in the Black Sea area. Poroshenko said Ukraine would join the initiative for the creation of a Black Sea fleet, which would strengthen NATOs presence in the area and would help increase security in the region. The two presidents also discussed the setting up of a Romanian – Ukrainian – Bulgarian brigade, after the model of the one set up by Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine. The Ukrainian president also met with PM Dacian Ciolos, who said that the formation of the new government in Kiev was a fresh opportunity for speeding domestic reforms and stabilizing the neighboring state. Two agreements were signed on the occasion, one on bilateral cooperation in the military transportation field and another one on joint patrolling along the border between the two countries.
