January 3, 2017
PM designate Sorin Grindeanu is expected to announce his Cabinet nominations
Newsroom, 03.01.2017, 00:00
PARLIAMENT – The Parliament of Romania today starts the procedures for the vote of confidence on the new Cabinet. Also today, the PM designate Sorin Grindeanu is expected to announce his nominations for the new ministers. A former communications minister, Sorin Grindeanu is the second nomination made by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, after President Klaus Iohannis would not accept Sevil Shhaideh as PM designate. The ruling coalition is backed by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, and together they have a comfortable majority in Parliament. The Social Democratic leader, Liviu Dragnea, said the new government would have more than 20 ministries, and 8 of them would be headed by women. He also said the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats would hold 4 minister seats. The new ministers might be sworn in tomorrow.
GOVERNING PROGRAMME – In Romania, the governing programme which is to be endorsed by Parliament on Wednesday will be implemented as of February 1. The PM designate, Sorin Grindeanu, promised that all the measures announced in the election campaign would be implemented. The promises made by the Social Democrats, which won the elections, include an increase of the minimum national wage from 280 euro to around 320 euro, eliminating the health insurance contributions for all pensioners and the income tax on all pensions below 445 euro. Sorin Grindeanu also said that the state budget for this year might be endorsed by February 1.
AUTOMOTIVE – In 2016 the brand Dacia sold a record 110,000 automobiles in the French market, up 13.4% compared to the previous year, according to data made public by the French carmakers association. In turn, Renault reports its best performance in France since 2011, with a 6.6% increase in sales, to 407,000 units. In 2016, Renault accounted for 20.2% of the French automobile market, and Dacia had a 5.48% market share. In Romania, the Dacia plant in Mioveni was taken over by Renault in 1999. Re-launched in 2004 with Logan, Dacia has grown into a notable player in the European automobile market.
BORDER POLICE – The Romanian border police takes part in the EPN POSEIDON SEA joint operation, organised by Frontex, the European border agency. Romania is contributing a Coast Guard patrol and intervention vessel. The operation takes place in the Aegean Sea in January – April. With 23 border police on board, the vessel is to carry out patrol, research, search and rescue missions, together with other EU member states. The operation continues the activities organised by Frontex to manage irregular migration flows.
ISTANBUL ATTACK – Counter-terrorism forces in Turkey carry on searches for the perpetrators of the New Years Eve attack at the Reina nightclub, in which 39 people died and nearly 70 were wounded. More than half of the victims were foreign citizens, from Israel, India, Lebanon, France, Tunisia, Belgium, Kuwait and Canada. The attack was claimed by the IS terror group, in retaliation to Turkeys intervention in Syria. Twelve suspects have been retained so far. According to analysts, unlike in previous years, the more recent attacks in Turkey particularly targeted places popular with foreigners, such as tourist sites in Istanbul and the Ataturk airport. In July, an attack at the Ataturk international airport near Istanbul killed 45 people.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
