April 3, 2024

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 03.04.2024, 13:55

MEETING. The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, is hosting, today, in Bucharest, together with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, a working meeting dedicated to the preparation of the future EU Strategic Agenda. The prime ministers of Hungary, Viktor Orban, of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, and of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, are also participating. The consultations organized in Bucharest are part of a wider process of defining EU priorities for the period 2024-2029, started on the occasion of the informal meeting of the European Council in Granada, in October 2023. Then, the debates of the leaders of the member states revealed the interest in placing security and defense issues at the forefront of the European agenda, as well as global involvement and the enlargement of the Union, and strengthening its resilience and competitiveness. Discussions on the preparation of the Strategic Agenda for the next institutional cycle will continue at the level of European leaders, with the goal of having it adopted by the European Council at the scheduled meeting in June.

NATO. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Romania’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance and NATO’s 75th anniversary, the Ministry of Defense is organizing special events in Bucharest and across the country. On Thursday, the South-East Multinational Corps Command in Sibiu (center) will host an “Open Doors Day”, allowing the public to visit an exhibition of military equipment, presented by the subordinate and partner structures of the Corps, as well as a photo exhibition dedicated to NATO Day. On Sunday, April 7, Romanian and NATO flag raising ceremonies will take place in Bucharest and in the major garrisons in the country. On Tuesday, the Romanian Parliament organized a joint meeting marking Romania’s two decades of NATO membership.

GENDERMERIE. Romanian Gendarmerie Day is celebrated every year on April 3. On this occasion, various ceremonies, events and activities take place in the country to mark the role and contribution of the gendarmes in ensuring security and public order in Romania. Romanian Gendarmerie Day was celebrated for the first time on April 3, 1850. In December 2008, Romania became, through the Romanian Gendarmerie, a full member of the European Gendarmerie Force.

UNEMPLOYMENT. The unemployment rate in Romania decreased slightly, to 5.6%, in February this year, compared to the previous month, but among young people (15-24 years old) it continues to have a high level, standing at 22.1%, according to data provided today by the National Institute of Statistics. The unemployment rate for men was 0.8 percentage points higher than for women, standing at 6%. The number of unemployed people aged 15-74 estimated for the month of February was over 466 thousand people, down compared to January, but higher than in the same period of the previous year. Regarding the number of unemployed people aged 25-74, this represented more than 74% of the total estimated number of unemployed people.

INCENTIVES. People who will donate blood at least three times in a year will benefit from a decrease in the tax due for a single building or land, according to a draft law promulgated by the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. The discount can be combined with the 10% bonus already applied to those who pay their tax in advance until the end of March. The mentioned document stipulates that the application of the measure falls is the responsibility of the local councils.

RANKING. Six Romanians were included in the ranking of the richest people in the world, published on Tuesday by Forbes magazine. They are: Daniel Dines – co-founder of the UiPath automation company, businessman and former tennis player Ion Ţiriac, brothers Dragoş and Adrian Pavăl – founders of the Dedeman chain of construction materials and DIY stores, Ion Stoica and Matei Zaharia – co-founders of software startup Databricks. The number of billionaires on the planet increased, this year, by 26 compared to 2023, and reached the record level of 2,781. Most of the world’s rich are in the United States of America, China and India. (MI)