August 29, 2022
A roundup of news from Romania and abroad
Newsroom, 29.08.2022, 13:55
Energy — The Romanian energy minister Virgil Popescu says that the very high profits in the field must be eliminated. He has announced that the Government is considering an additional taxation of the entire energy production, intermediation and supply chain. The leaders of the governing coalition have asked the Finance Ministry and the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority to make the necessary simulations and present them in the following days, so that, by September 1, the government should be able to establish, through an emergency decree, the method and amount of over-taxation.
Seniors — In Romania, a new edition of the program “Seaside for All” has started today. More than 70 hotels have signed up for the program, and prices are lower than those at the peak of the season by even 75%, the hospitality industry representatives say. Hoteliers wanted to start this program earlier because school will start earlier, on September 5. The “Seaside for all” program runs until the end of September and is completed with special offers for seniors.
Laws — A new parliamentary session begins this week in Romania. High on the agenda are the justice laws, whose adoption is a target assumed by Romania under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification. The bills are related to the status of judges and prosecutors, the judicial organization and the Superior Council of Magistracy and are part of a series of changes assumed before the European partners, with the aim of modernizing the entire justice system. Minister Cătălin Predoiu said that, once this commitment is met, the lifting of the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification could be even considered. The opposition believes, however, that there is no chance for the Mechanism of Cooperation and Verification to be lifted because, in the form approved by the government, the bills would keep intact the political influence on appointing prosecutors.
IAEA — IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Director General Rafael Grossi has today announced that he is on his way to the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporozhe, which has been the target of attacks in recent weeks, France Press reports. “We must protect the security of Ukraine and of the largest power plant in Europe,” Rafael Grossi wrote on Twitter. In the last 24 hours, new bombings have targeted the perimeter of the nuclear power plant in Zaporozhe (south-eastern Ukraine), Russia and Ukraine announced on Saturday, blaming each other for the bombings. The Ukrainian operator Energoatom has announced that the plant has been operating since Saturday at noon with the risk of leaks and fire.
Tennis — Three Romanian tennis players, Simona Halep, Gabriela Ruse and Jaqueline Cristian, are today playing in the first round of the US Open, the last grand slam tournament of the year. Back in the world top 10, Simona Halep meets the Ukrainian Daria Snigur, Jaqueline Cristian faces Anett Kontaveit (Estonia, 2nd place in the world), and Gabriela Ruse plays against Daria Saville (Australia). Another two Romanian tennis players will play at Flushing Meadows: Irina Begu, who will face the Belgian Elise Mertens, and Sorana Cîrstea, who will be up against the German Laura Siegemund. (LS)
