November 19, 2017 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 19.11.2017, 18:31

GERMANY — Negotiations continued on Sunday in Berlin on forging a governing coalition between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union Party (CDU), its Bavarian allies the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Greens and the business-minded Free Democrats. Merkel is trying to iron out disagreements with their would-be coalition partners over climate and migration policy, taxation and national security. France Presse reports that the Christian Democrats, the Bavarian conservatives and the Free Democrats want to set a cap of 200,000 per year on the number of refugees Germany will take. The Greens, however, plead for the resuming, as of next year, of the process of family reintegration for all refugees, a move that the Bavarian conservatives firmly reject. Unless an agreement is reached, Germany could be heading for a snap election.

EMPLOYERS – The CONCORDIA Employers Confederation, one of the largest in Romania, has called on the Government to urgently withdraw the law forcing companies to start collective negotiations with the employees within 30 days. The Confederation has voiced in a release their outrage at the complete lack of transparency in passing a law with a major impact on labour relations, whose constitutionality is still uncertain. The measure forces all employers in Romania to initiate collective negotiations within 30 days, in spite of the fact that the effects of the emergency decree transferring social security contributions from employers to employees have not been clarified. The Employers Confederation argues that the Government has operated this change without consulting with its social partners and with the purpose of making employers and trade unions assume responsibility for decisions unilaterally taken by the executive.

TRAVEL FAIR – The 38th edition of Romania’s Travel Fair ended on Sunday in Bucharest. The fair brought together over 200 tour operators and travel agencies. As many as 12 foreign countries from around the globe had their own stands at the fair, just like the Romanian county councils, which tried to promote travel destinations in their country.

GAUDEAMUS BOOK FAIR — The 24th edition of the Gaudeamus-Book of Learning International Fair, organised by Radio Romania, opens its doors on Wednesday. No less than 800 editorial and professional events will be organised during the fair, which will be attended by 300 exhibitors: Romanian publishing houses boasting a long tradition in the field, education institutions, book sellers and publications, professional associations and other organisations active in the field of culture and education. The honorary president of the fair will be the well-known playwright and journalist Matei Vişniec and the honorary guest of this year’s edition of the fair will be the European Commission. Thus, the event will mark 60 years since the Treaties of Rome were signed, 30 years since the launch of the Erasmus program and 10 years since Romania joined the EU, says Angela Cristea, head of the EC Representation in Romania.

HANDBALL — The Romanian women’s handball team, CSM Bucharest defeated on Sunday on home turf the Polish team Vistal Gdynia, 43-22, in the last match of the Champions’ League Group A. With five wins and a defeat, CSM ranks first in the group, which is also made up of Nykobing Falster Handboldklub of Denmark and RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana of Slovenia. CSM Bucharest won the Champions’ League in 2016 and is one of the favourites of the current edition of the most important European inter-club competition.

(Translated by Elena Enache)