July 11, 2023

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 11.07.2023, 13:55

SUMMIT – The president of Romania,
Klaus Iohannis, is attending the NATO Summit in Vilnius on Tuesday and
Wednesday. The head of state will reiterate support for neighboring Ukraine,
also in terms of this country’s efforts to join NATO. Klaus Iohannis will also
call for support for NATO’s most vulnerable partners, in particular the
Republic of Moldova.

ENERGY – EU Energy Ministers are
convening in Valladolid, Spain for a two-day meeting to discuss challenges
linked to creating an integrated energy single market and digitizing the energy
sector, interconnection projects and managing demand and storage. Romania will
be represented by Dan-Dragoș Drăgan, State Secretary with the Energy Ministry.
The meeting will address reforms of the electricity market with a view to
ensuring stable and competitive prices for end users and consolidating the
development of sustainable energy sources. Additionally, participants will
tackle topics such as developing electricity interconnections and will discuss
the adoption of the sixth list of energy projects of joint interest.

NURSING HOMES SCANDAL – The
authorities are conducting searches in centers addressing vulnerable categories
of people all over the country. Prosecutors are coordinating their efforts with
representatives of the relevant public institutions. So far, inspectors have
verified nearly 500 such nursing homes, shutting down 4 and suspending the
activity of another 22. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has demanded inspections
in every nursing home across the country, after the National Directorate for
Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) launched an investigation
into three nursing homes in Voluntari and Afumați (Ilfov County) that applied
ill-treatments to their beneficiaries.

AGEING – Population ageing is a
growing phenomenon in Romania, the National Statistics Institute reports. In a
press release marking World Population Day, the Institute expects the young
population of Romania, consisting of pre-school and school children, to
continue to drop, reaching 3.12 mln people in 2030 and only 2.15 mln in 2060.
At present, Romania’s pre-school and school population totals 3.47 mln people.
On January 1, 2022, Romania’s permanent resident population stood at
approximately 19 million inhabitants. According to Eurostat, Romania ranks 6th
at EU level in terms of the size of the resident population. Germany has the
largest population – over 83 million inhabitants, while Malta lies at the
opposite end with a population of 520 thousand people.

BEER – The beer market has
shrunk by 9% in the first five months of the year compared to the same period
of 2022, the Romanian Brewers Association announced today. The waning
purchasing power and economic difficulties caused by soaring inflation and the
increase in raw material prices are some of the causes, the Association
reports. Rising construction costs also remain an issue, despite a leveling-out
of energy expenses. At national level, 97% of production and trading is carried
out locally, while 50% of ingredients used in brewing beer originated from
local agriculture. The beer-making industry also consists of 60,000 jobs, each
generating another 11 further up the value chain: two in agriculture, three in
retail, three in hospitability and three in distribution. The sector’s added
value stands at some 700 mln EUR per year.

FESTIVAL – The Ceau, Cinema!
Festival is running until Sunday in Timișoara as part of the European Capital
of Culture programme for 2023. Dozens of screenings will be held, featuring 20
guests from at home and abroad, in addition to debates, workshops, an
anniversary exhibition and book launches. Having reached its tenth edition this
year, the Festival will ooepn with a film-concert. Petre Ionuțescu will be
performing live the soundtrack he composed for The Bridal Party in Hardanger directed by Ramus Briestein. The 1926
film is considered a masterpiece of the silent film era in Norway.

HEATWAVE – Meteorologists
have issued an alert against a heatwave expected to affect Romania until
Friday. Highs will range between 34-37 degrees Celsius. Thermal discomfort will
be particularly amplified in the lowlands, where the temperature-humidity index
(THI) will exceed the critical 80-unit mark. Extreme heat is also reported
today in Bucharest, where the forecast also includes isolated thunderstorms.
The noon reading in Bucharest was 30 degrees. (VP)