August 16, 2017 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 16.08.2017, 19:19
Economic growth — The Romanian economy has grown by 5.8% in the first half of the year, according to estimates issued Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics. The highest growth, 5.9%, was in the second quarter, after a growth of 5.7% in the first quarter, as a result of higher consumption. Romania had the highest economic growth in the EU between April and June this year, according to preliminary data from the Eurostat. The European agency estimated the first and second quarter growth at 5.7%, as compared to last year. The official forecast of the Romanian government for 2017 is 5.2%, while the EU expects it to be 4.4%.
Spending — Romania is third in the EU in terms of the percentage of expenses from the GDP allotted for public order and safety in 2015, according to data issued by the Eurostat. In total, member states have spent 258 billion Euro, 1.8% of the cumulative GDP. Bulgaria and Slovakia take first and second place, with 2.8% and 2.4% respectively. Denmark and Luxembourg take the last two places, with 1% of the GDP each allocated for public order and safety. The classification changes if it is based on per capita spending, with the first three places taken by Luxembourg, the UK and the Netherlands. Bulgaria and Romania come in last.
Summer University — The summer university for Romanians in the diaspora continues in Izvorul Muresului, attended by over 100 students, opinion leaders and members of the historic communities around the borders of Romania, as well as in the Balkans. The topics tackeled on Wednesday focused on preserving national identity and culture for Romanians who live in areas with a different ethnic majority. The summer university is being held in anticipation of the centennial of the Great Union of Romanian territories, being celebrated next year.
Gaudeamus — The 100th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair, organized by Radio Romania, ended Wednesday in Mamaia, a major resort on the Black Sea Coast. In its four days, the fair hosted dozens of editorial and musical events, as well as many competitions. Radio Romania had another anniversary to celebrate recently, 50 years of existence for Radio Holidays, the seaside channel of the national radio corporation, broadcasting in foreign languages, manned before 1994 by RRI editors. next year.
Penitentiaries’ trade unions — The Trade Union Federation within the National Administration of Penitentiaries in Romania has agreed with Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader, that the rise in the basic salary by 15% should be made by a government emergency ordinance that should be finalized next week and that could be applied as of October 1, the trade union leader Sorin Dumitru told Radio Romania. He also added that during Wednesday’s talks they decided that, by the end of September, they should prepare a memorandum regarding the creation of at least one thousand jobs in the prison system. The trade unions in the prison system started protests as of August 1, by refusing to work extra hours.
