January 9, 2017 UPDATE

Record level of energy consumption in Romania/ Chamber of Deputies convenes in extraordinary session until the end of January/ Exports of Romanian products reach historic high in December 2016

Newsroom, 09.01.2017, 12:15

BAD WEATHER ROMANIA — The new Romanian energy minister, Toma Petcu, says that despite a record level of consumption reported in Romania, the country will not face any problems in terms of electricity and natural gas supply. He added that, because of the very low temperatures, consumption will reach a historic high, but Romania has the capacity to provide energy even if the period of frost is extended. Petcu pointed out that given the high level of domestic energy consumption, Romania could not offer support to neighboring Bulgaria, which has faced problems in supplying energy. Due to the frost, schools, high schools and kindergartens in Bucharest and other regions of Romania will remain closed all week. Following the heavy snowfalls of the past days traffic was resumed on the highway linking Bucharest to Constanta and on the roads that had been closed because of the bad weather. The heavy snows severely disrupted road, railway and maritime transport. The most severely hit was the southeast of the country, where many localities experienced power outings and water supply was cut off. Across the country, scores of trains have been cancelled and some flights delayed.

POLITICS — The Romanian Chamber of Deputies will convene in extraordinary sessions until the end of January, the Chamber’s Permanent Bureau announced on Monday. Thus, the new government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, headed by Social Democrat Sorin Grindeanu will be able to also issue emergency ordinances, which is not usually allowed during parliamentary recess. By convening in extraordinary session, the majority coalition is trying to overcome the deadlock created by the right wing opposition that sent the bill enabling the Cabinet to issue government orders during parliamentary recess to the Constitutional Court. The opposition parties argued that the bill would allow the government to amend organic laws by simple ordinances, which runs counter to the law. In exchange, the Social Democrat leader, Liviu Dragnea, claims that the opposition’s move in nothing but an attempt to block the activity of the government. Constitutional Court officials told Radio Romania that they would discuss the opposition’s notification on Thursday.

STATISTICS — Exports of Romanian products reached a record level of 5.3 billion euros in December 2016, an amount higher by almost 12% as compared to the same period of 2015. Preliminary data published on Monday by the National Statistics Institute show that imports as well were higher by 11.6%, exceeding 6 billion euros. Thus, the trade deficit was more than 860 million euros. Also on Monday the Statistics Institute announced that the unemployment rate for November was 5.7%. The number of unemployed people reached 521 thousand, down as against both the previous month and the corresponding month of 2015. The unemployment rate stood at 6.5% among men and 4.7% for women, the National Statistics Institute also reported.

TENNIS — The best Romanian woman tennis player, Simona Halep, continues to be ranked 4th in the WTA classification made public on Monday. Halep was eliminated in the eighth finals of the Shenzhen tournament, in China, and she is now 163 points away from the last ranked player, Polish Agnieszka Radwanska. Other three Romanian players are in the WTA Top 100: Irina Begu is down one, place being ranked on 30th position, Monica Niculescu is on 40th place and Sorana Carstea maintained the 78th place. The German player Angelique Kerber continues to be world leader, being followed by American Serena Williams.

BAD WEATHER EUROPE — Polar temperatures have affected the whole of Europe, from eastern France to the south of Greece and Italy, the people killed by the frost raising to 40. Most of the victims were reported in Poland. The Romanian Foreign Ministry warns the Romanian citizens who want to travel abroad on the severe weather conditions faced by many European countries including Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina. The center and south of Italy continues to be affected by frost, with temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees C in Amatrice, where the people left without homes following last summer’s quake are still sleeping in cars and tents. Greece has also been affected by extreme cold. The wave of extreme cold seems to have been caused by a glacial Polar Continental air mass that advanced south-westwards from Scandinavia. (translation by Lacramioara Simion)