November 14, 2017 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 14.11.2017, 19:42
MOTION – The National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union, both in the opposition, have announced they will file together a no-confidence motion against the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania. Also, the Liberals will call on the Ombudsman to challenge at the Constitutional Court the fiscal reform promoted by the Government. According to the Executive, however, the changes adopted last week, including shifting the responsibility for paying social security contributions from employers to employees and the reduction of the income tax from 16 to 10%, will bring more money to the state budget and to the pension fund and will provide simpler procedures for companies. The measures are due to come into force on January 1st.
ECONOMIC GROWTH – Romania ranks first in the EU in terms of economic growth, and this is the only way to ensure higher living standards, said on Tuesday the Finance Minister Ionut Misa. According to the Romanian official, the countrys economic situation is significantly better than in 2016, and the current development direction is appreciated by investors and international bodies. According to the Statistical Office of the European Union, in the third quarter of this year Romania registered the highest GDP growth in the EU, 8.6%, as compared to 2016. According to the Romanian Statistics Institute, in 2017 Romanias GDP grew by 2.6% in the third quarter, as compared to the previous quarter, and by 8.8% as compared to the previous year.
PERSONA NON GRATA – On Tuesday, the Bucharest Court of Appeal declared the Serbian citizen Bratislav Zivkovic, a self-proclaimed commander of a paramilitary group, persona non grata in Romania for a period of 15 years. Between 2012 and 2014 Zivkovic took part in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the pro-Russian separatists side. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service, he has traveled to Romania several times to collect intelligence. He has drawn up preparatory documents with the aim of procuring and transmitting such information to foreign powers and agencies and of setting up intelligence networks on Romanian soil. He has shown interest in classified documents concerning critical national and allied infrastructure in south-eastern Romania. According to the Service, though, the Serbian has not managed to get any document or classified information.
CELEBRATION – On Tuesday, Romania celebrated 139 years since the south-eastern province of Dobruja was unified with the country. The province had been, up to that point, under Ottoman rule. In 1878, following the Russian-Romanian-Turkish war, the Congress of Berlin recognized Romanias independence and the province of Dobruja together with the tiny Snake Island in the Black Sea as part of its territory. Authorities in the counties of Tulcea and Constanta staged ceremonies to celebrate this historic event.
ATP WORLD TOUR – The tennis pair made up of the Romanian Horia Tecau and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer stands no chances of qualifying for the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour in London. On Tuesday, they were defeated by Henri Kontinen of Finland and John Peers of Australia 7-6, 7-6. In their first match on Sunday, the pair also lost to the all French pair Pierre-Hugues Herbert / Nicolas Mahut. The next game is due on Thursday, against the pair made up of the American Ryan Harrison and Michael Venus of the New Zealand. This year, Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer have won four titles.
