May 17, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 17.05.2024, 20:00
ECONOMY – Confidex, the index that measures Romanian managers’ confidence in the local economy, has reached its highest level in 4 years – 52.5, according to the latest relevant poll. Companies in the services sector are the most optimistic, followed by IT, constructions and retail firms. At the opposite pole are businesses in agriculture, energy and industry.
DISINFORMATION – The Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization in Romania has launched the #nofake platform, where people can submit reports for social media content they deem inappropriate, such as digital fakes, offensive content, online disinformation and manipulation. The line minister, Bogdan Ivan, said the platform will ensure a swift analysis of digital fake reports. This new reporting system will supplement the authorities’ efforts in this field, in addition to security and reporting mechanisms provided by each social media platform, Minister Ivan pointed out.
ELECTIONS – Romania’s Foreign Ministry and the Permanent Electoral Authority have put together the Guidelines for Romanian voters in polling stations abroad for the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 9, 2024. The document answers the most frequent questions concerning the organization of the ballot: voter eligibility, identity documents required for voting, the opening hours of polling stations, the voting procedure and the operation of the IT system monitoring voter turnout and preventing illegal voting. Citizens can find the guidelines on the ministry’s website. The Foreign Ministry, via Romania’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad, organizes 915 polling stations for Romania’s members in the European Parliament, over double the number of stations opened for the European elections in 2019. Romanian nationals who live or travel abroad temporarily will be able to cast their ballots in any polling station abroad, using Romanian IDs valid on the day of the vote.
WAR IN GAZA – Health Minister Alexandru Rafila on Friday announced Romanian hospitals are preparing to treat a number of Palestinian children wounded in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. The patients will be transported to Romania under the European Protection Mechanism. The Romanian official did not specify exactly when the children are expected to arrive, mentioning this would happen “in the near future”. Romanian authorities will ship 90,000 units of canned food to Gaza to support the Palestinian people. The European Commission is expected to cover transport costs.
STUDENTS – A government resolution sets out the overall enrolment figures for public undergraduate and higher education units in Romania in the 2024 – 2025 academic year. The document sets the number of students to be enrolled in preschools, primary, secondary and high schools in the country, including for Romanian nationals living abroad, and for foreign citizens under bilateral agreements and unilateral commitments. Romanians living abroad will benefit from 1,900 places in undergraduate education units and 7,065 places in public universities, with a total of 800 monthly grants. For foreign citizens, 1,800 places have been earmarked in undergraduate education units and 4,430 in higher education institutions, with a total 1,710 monthly grants. Enrolment plans also include special places for minors who have applied for or received protection in Romania, and for stateless minors officially recognized as residing in Romania, the government explained. (AMP & VP)
