January 3, 2023 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of local and world news

Newsroom, 03.01.2023, 20:00

IMF The IMF expects 2023 to be tougher than
2022 for most of the global economy. The main economic growth engines, namely
the United States, the European Union and China will see their economic
activity slow down, so that 2023 will be difficult for the global GDP, the head
of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, told the
American TV station CBS. In October, the
IMF downgraded its global economic outlook for 2023, following the war in
Ukraine, sharply rising interest rates and inflationist pressure. Georgieva
said that China, which sees a surge in COVID-19 cases following the dismantling
of its strict zero-COVID policy, may have its economy affected. Meanwhile,
the EU has been especially hard hit by the war in Ukraine, with half of the
bloc expected to be in recession this year, Georgieva said. Also, the global
growth rate will slow down from 3.2% in 2022 to 2.75 this year, while
governments will have to make sure they have sufficient revenues for
expenditure, as they will no longer be able to borrow money in advantageous
conditions. As regards Romania, the economic growth rate will slow down to 2.8% this year, from more than 5% in 2022.

NATO NATO allies will discuss, in the
upcoming months, about the share earmarked for defence, given that some of them
have requested that the current 2% share of national output to be the minimum
target spent on defence, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the
German news agency DPA. The chief of the Alliance also said he would chair a
number of meetings on this topic, and that his goal was to reach an agreement
ahead of the next summit in Vilnius in July 2023.

SURVEY 2023 starts on a pessimistic note for
most Romanians, according to a survey conducted by the Romanian Institute for
Evaluation and Strategy. More than half of the participants in the poll believe
2023 will be worse for Romania than the year before. Active people aged 36 to
65 are the most pessimistic, while the less educated respondents are more optimistic
in this respect. In terms of living standards, half of respondents have little
expectations from the year that has just started. People aged over 51, with
monthly revenues below 400 euros, have the darkest view of the future. Unlike
them, those with incomes above 800 euros a month say 2023 will be the same as
2022. However, the most optimistic in terms of financial future are young
people aged below 35. As for the changes they would like to see in their
country, most respondents indicated the politicians, the political class or the
country leaders, followed by the Government and the ruling parties.

CORRUPTION The European Parliament has
launched an urgent procedure to wave the immunity of two members of the
European Parliament – Italian Andrea Cozzolino and Belgian Marc Tarabella,
following a request from the Belgian judicial authorities. A number of current
and former European officials or employees are investigated in this case. The
scandal began in December, with the arrest of the Greek MEP Eva Kaili, who is
accused of accepting large sums of money to peddle influence for Qatar and
Morocco at the European Parliament.

FOOTBALL FIFA will ask every country in the
world to name a stadium in honour of Pelé, said FIFA president Gianni Infantino,
attending the funeral in Santos, Brazil. Edson Arantes do Nascimento by his
real name, Pelé, the only footballer who won three world titles, died aged 82.
Throughout his career he scored almost 1,300 goals. He was designated
footballer of the 20th century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999,
Player of the Century by FIFA in 2000 and won the Golden Ball. (EE, AMP)