December 18, 2023

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 18.12.2023, 13:55

BUDGETS – The government has submitted the recently adopted state
and social security budgets for 2024 to Parliament for debate. A tight deadline
has been set for discussions in committee and plenary meetings, with a final
vote scheduled for Wednesday. The government expects an economic growth of
3.4%, with the goal of increasing tax collection and reducing tax evasion.
Investments and transports will receive additional funds. Investments will also
increase to nearly 7% of the GDP next year, while education will have the
largest budget in history. Pensions are also expected to increase by 13.8%
starting January 1, with a recalculation slated for September. The draft budget
also allots funds to increase allowances and social benefits and teachers’
salaries. The government also wants to raise public sector salaries by 5%. The
opposition has filed hundreds of amendments, claiming the budget’s plans are
unrealistic, quoting data compiled by economists, according to which tens of
billions were left out of the estimated budget, which could thus deepen the
budget deficit.

WAR IN GAZA – The Israeli army has published new details confirming
that the accidental killing of three hostages from Gaza by Israeli armed forces
is a breach of rules of engagement. The Israeli troops opened fire on three
people that walked out of the building without their shirts on, to prove they
had no bombs strapped and carrying a white flag bearing the message SOS and
Help 3 hostages. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent on the ground,
the incident has further inflamed tensions, putting additional pressure on the
Israeli government to reach an agreement with Hamas for the liberation of the
approximately 120 hostages still being held captive in Gaza. Meanwhile, the IDF
announced the discovery of the biggest tunnel used by Hamas Islamists in Gaza.

EVACUATIONS – A group of 14 people consisting of Romanian citizens
and their families were safely evacuated from Gaza and arrived in Romania, the
Foreign Ministry reports. The people were evacuated to Egypt on Saturday,
crossing the Rafah checkpoint, where representatives of the Romanian Embassy in
Egypt accompanied them to Cairo. Here they boarded a flight to Romania. So far,
302 people, Romanian citizens and family members, have been evacuated from the
Gaza Strip. The Romanian MFA says it remains in permanent contact with the
Israeli and Egyptian authorities to help evacuate the remaining citizens,
depending on the developments on the ground.

REVOLUTION – The city of Timișoara (west) commemorates the people
who lost their lives in the anti-communist revolution of 1989 in Romania. A
religious service will be held at the Heroes’ Chapel in the Revolution Memorial
Museum, followed by a procession to the monuments devoted to the Revolution. 34
years ago, under orders from the communist regime, security forces opened fire
on the crowd of protestors, killing nearly 100 people and wounding a few
hundreds. On December 18, martial law was declared in Timișoara after the
massacre of the previous day, when dozens of people were killed. Hospitals were
overrun, the streets were blocked by tanks and tactical vehicles and a general
curfew was in place. This was the day when several young people were gunned
down on the steps of the Orthodox Cathedral.