December 17, 2015 UPDATE
Timisoara commemorated the victims of the 1989 anti-communist revolt.
Newsroom, 17.12.2015, 12:15
The western city of Timisoara was in mourning on Thursday, commemorating the victims of the 1989 anti-communist revolt. 90 people lost their lives and almost 400 were injured during the popular uprising 26 years ago. A special mass was held at the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Opera hosted the opening of a contemporary art exhibition. Timisoara is the city that sparked the revolution, which then rapidly spread all over the country, eventually toppling the Ceausescu regime on 22 December. Between December 16 and 22, over a thousand people lost their lives, and almost 3,400 were wounded. Romania is the only country of the former Soviet bloc where the regime change was accompanied by a bloodshed, and the deposed communist leaders were executed. The Romanian Parliament meets on 21 December in solemn session to mark the 26th anniversary of this momentous event.
The immigration crisis, securing the EU’s external borders, fighting terrorism as well as the British proposal to reform the EU are the main topics under discussion at the European Council summit under way in Brussels. According to a communiqué of the Romanian government, Romania supports the application of measures meant to secure the EU’s external borders in order to guarantee internal security while maintaining the principle of the free movement of people within the community space. Romania is represented at the winter European Council meeting by PM Dacian Cioloş.
Thousands of Romanian transporters protested on Thursday in Bucharest against the rise in the price of the compulsory civil liability insurance policy. A delegation of the protesters talked with the government representatives who said they would work out solutions to reduce the price of these insurance policies. In a communiqué, the insurance companies’ representatives explained that the rise in the price of the insurance policy is due to the fact that, as regards external transportation, the level of damages is much higher and in some countries unlimited. Also the level of damages for bodily injuries and moral prejudice in Romania is unpredictable, the Romanian courts’ practice lacking consistency. Transporters are also discontent with the maintenance of the fuel extra excise duty after January 1st 2016 and of the obligation of transport operators to pay excessive amounts of money for royalties. Thousands of buses, coaches, cabs and commercial trucks gathered in front of the Government building in Bucharest.
Romania’s national women’s handball team has qualified to the semi-finals of the World Championships in Denmark. In the dramatic game on Wednesday night, the Romanians defeated the Danes 31-30, after extra time. The victory goal was scored in the very last second of the game. On Friday, in the semi-finals, Romania plays against Norway, while the Netherlands contend with Poland. The latter two are veritable surprises, just like Romania’s presence is, considering that in the group stage it got defeated by Spain, Norway and Russia.
The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is the most trusted political figure in Romania, according to a poll published on Thursday. According to the barometer, almost 60% of the people polled said they have high or very high confidence in the president. 40% trust the Governor of the National Bank, Mugur Isarescu, and 32.6% trust the prime minister. The poll was run between November 26 and December 2. The sample was 1,071 people.
International markets have had a positive reaction to the US Federal Reserve decision to raise the reference interest rate, for the first time after 2006, even though the figure was quite small, 0.25%. This indicates that the US economy has finally overcome the effects of the world financial crisis. The hike was followed by a similar one in Hong Kong, where the currency is linked to the US dollar. Next year, new interest rate hikes are expected, resulting in pressure on emerging markets and national currencies in countries from India to Indonesia, according to the BBC. While some states, such as Japan, could benefit from a weaker national currency, which makes exports cheaper, other states, such as Australia, could have problems, since the price of their consumer goods is already low. Also, in some developing countries, businesses could face more expensive loans, the BBC informs.
