July 24, 2014
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Mihai Pelin, 24.07.2014, 12:14
Romania’s president Traian Basescu last night announced he would not promulgate the draft law on the 5 per cent reduction of the employer-paid social insurance contributions. Basescu went on to say he would resubmit the draft law to Parliament. In a statement to the media, Basescu said he unreservedly supported the measure. Basescu went on to say, however, that he had his own misgivings regarding the financing sources of the outstanding deficit that had occurred with the pension fund. Prime Minister Victor Ponta, however, was adamant in saying the measure was economically sustainable.
The Romanian state is to lodge a civil action against Italian company Enel with the Arbitrage Tribunal in Paris, for having failed to comply with the privatization contract signed for Electrica Muntenia sud, a southern Romanian electricity company. By the end of 2012, Enel was supposed to buy yet another share package, accounting for 13.7 per cent of the share package Electrica SA still held with Electrica Muntenia sud. We recall in 2008 Enel paid around 394 million euro for 50 per cent of the share package. The Romanian authorities want Enel to pay more than 520 million euro. According to Romania’s minister delegate for energy Razvan Nicolescu, the Arbitrage Tribunal in Paris took the decision because the amiable discussions the Romanian side had with Enel did not prompt the two sides to reach a consensus over the case in point, the Italian company has recently announced they wanted to sell their energy supply and distribution operations in Romania.
Romanian football team Steaua Bucharest has made headway into the Champions League’s third preliminary round. Last night Steaua snatched a 2-nil home win against Norway’s champions Stroemsgodset. We recall the Romanians had also secured a 1-nil away win against the Norwegian squad. Steaua rank as favorites to qualify for the League’s group stage even ahead of the double-legged tie against Kazakh team FK Aktobe. Tonight in a crucial leg counting towards Europa League’s 2nd round, southern Romanian team Petrolul from Ploiesti are pitted against Albanian side Flamurtari Vlora, away from home. We recall Petroul has already secured a 2-nil home win in the tie. Western Romanian team CFR from Cluj will be taking on Serbian side Jagodina, also away from home. We recall CFR only managed a blank draw in the home game. Romanian vice-champion team Astra Giurgiu, winner of Romania’s Cup and Supercup, respectively, qualified straight into the Europa League’ s 3rd preliminary round.
Dutch experts have begun the intricate process of identifying the dead bodies retrieved from the Malaysian airplane that last week was gunned down in Ukraine. We recall all 298 passengers on board the plane were killed. The first 40 coffins yesterday were taken to a military base in Eindhoven, while two other planes will carry victims’ remains this afternoon. In another move, according to NATO, Russia has intensified its arms delivery to separatists in Ukraine, according to Reuters. Reuters news agency last night broadcast an interview with one of separatists’ leaders in Ukraine, Aleksandr Hodakovski, who confirmed insurgents held Zenit and Buk surface-to-air missiles. According to some of the sources, a Buk surface-to-air rocket shot down the Malaysian airplane. Shortly after Reuters broadcast the interview, in an interview to Ria Novosti news agency, Hodakovski denied having confirmed Ukrainian rebels held Buk rockets.
The northern Romanian town of Suceava over August 2 and 10 will be playing host to the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The competition is structured along four tests: the theoretical one, the astronomical data analysis test, the practical test and the teams’ test. Expected to take part in the contest are more than 550 competitors and examiners worldwide. Playing host to the Olympiad so far have been such countries as Indonesia, Thailand, Iran Poland, China, Brazil and Greece. Romania took part in the Olympiad as early as its inaugural edition. In 2013, Romanian high-school students won five medals: two gold, two silver and one bronze.
