February 22, 2024
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 22.02.2024, 13:47
Elections. The United Right Alliance in opposition says it will challenge in court the move by the ruling coalition formed by the Social Democrats and the Liberals to merge local and European elections. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians, also in opposition, has described the decision to merge elections as illegal and unconstitutional. The leaders of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party, Marcel Ciolacu and Nicolae Ciucă, respectively, on Wednesday evening announced local and European elections would be held on the same date in June. The two parties are to form an election alliance and run on joint lists in the European elections, but on separate lists in the local elections. The presidential elections are to be held in September and the parliamentary elections in December.
Healthcare. The government is to approve today new hirings in the healthcare and social assistance sectors to occupy over 2,200 vacant jobs, including 700 for doctors, as requested by trade unions, and the rest for nurses and social workers, pharmacists, psychologists and kinesiotherapists. This is the second time this year that the government is unblocking jobs in these sectors. In its meeting today, the government is also expected to maintain state support for low-income groups to help with heating and electricity bills.
Protests. Solidaritatea Sanitară healthcare trade union federation is to continue protests unhappy that the government only plans to raise the basic salaries of healthcare workers by 15% and that it refuses to hold further talks on the subject. In a statement, the federation says that although the government is presenting the measure as a salary increase, this does not in fact lead to greater purchasing power for healthcare employees, but only partly covers the high inflation rate. Protesters are today picketing the health and labour ministries and trade unions say they are planning countrywide protests on 11th March, on Medical Worker Day, followed by a general strike.
Defence. The Country’s Supreme Defence Council met on Wednesday in Bucharest to discuss the security situation in the Black Sea region and its implications for Romania, a statement from the president’s office says. The Council approved measures to strengthen the armed forces to protect the country’s territorial integrity and its population. Diplomatic efforts are also to continue to get Russia to halt its military aggression in Ukraine. The Council also looked at what’s been done in the field of cyber security and assessed its activity last year, with a report to be submitted to Parliament for approval.
Beach restoration. The Romanian Black Sea coastline gained 23 hectares of beach this year in the resorts of Eforie and Agigea, following works to reduce coastal erosion and expand the beachfront. According to the environment minister Mircea Fechet, this not only benefits the environment, but also the economic and tourist activities in the area. He says legal solutions are being looked for to allow businesses to rent sections of the beach for at least 10 years, from 2 years at present. The minister believes this will make business activity more stable and predictable and drive prices of tourist services down.
Table tennis. Romania’s women’s table tennis squad are today facing Japan in the quarterfinals of the World Table Tennis Championship under way in Busan, in South Korea. Romania yesterday defeated Egypt 3-nil and thus qualified for the Paris Olympic Games this summer.
Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea is today facing the defending Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Dubai. Cîrstea leads their head-to-head record 2-1, having won in 2022 in Saint Petersburg and last year in Miami, while Vondrousova won the first time they met, at the Australian Open back in 2021. (CM)
