November 15, 2021

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Newsroom, 15.11.2021, 14:59

COVID-19 The latest updates released by Romanian
authorities point to a decrease in the number of new cases in the
country-little over 2,100. The authorities also reported 195 fatalities,
and more than 15,000 COVID patients are hospitalised, 1,720 of them in
intensive care. In the capital Bucharest the infection rate dropped below 6 per
thousand. On the other hand, as compared to a peak of over 110,000 people
vaccinated on 27th October, the vaccination rate in Romania has also
been dropping steadily. So far 6.8 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated.

CERTIFICATE The draft law that makes the digital COVID
certificate compulsory at the workplace may be discussed as of today in the
Chamber of Deputies. In a first stage, the document was rejected by the Senate.
The interim PM Florin Cîțu called for exemplary mobilisation in the Chamber of
Deputies, so as to ensure the bill gets enough votes to pass. Florin Cîţu also
said he disagreed with the proposed free-of-charge testing of unvaccinated
workers, because this would put pressure on the public budget, whereas the
vaccine comes at no cost to citizens. In several cities, including Bucharest, rallies
were held to protest the possible introduction of the digital certificate and
other restrictions.

GOVERNMENT Negotiations continue in Bucharest, with
the National Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians trying to reach an agreement on a governing
programme. After Save Romania Union left the ruling coalition in September, the
Social Democrats introduced a no-confidence motion and dismissed the Liberal
cabinet. Today the talks will focus on the public
finances and justice fields. The
Liberal Party leader and interim PM Florin Cîţu announced that as far as the
labour area goes, a 7% pension rise has been discussed, but that a final
decision is to be made after the impact on the public budget has been analysed.
He also said child allowances are also to be raised. In turn, the Social
Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu mentioned the pension and child allowance
increases, but said several scenarios are being analysed and a complete set of
measures in this respect will be announced this week. So far the 3 parties have
not reached an agreement on a new prime minister designate.

MIGRANTS Brussels is hosting today a meeting of EU
foreign ministers focusing on the situations in Belarus, Ethiopia, Western
Balkans and the Sahel. Romania is represented by foreign minister
Bogdan Aurescu. According to a news release, the Romanian official is
taking part, alongside his EU counterparts, in an informal working brunch with
the Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. Bogdan Aurescu will
also attend the ministerial meeting of the Eastern Partnership. As regards the
situation in Belarus, Romania’s foreign affairs chief will express the
country’s solidarity with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, which are facing a
growing number of migrants at their borders with Belarus, and will promise to
support swift additional sanctions against Minsk.

CLIMATE The agreement to reduce coal use, reached
at the UN Climate talks in Glasgow, is a game-changing agreement which sounds the death knell
for coal power, said the British PM Boris Johnson, the host of the
COP26. According to analysts, the document, although imperfect, is nonetheless
an achievement, insofar that for the first time in the 25 climate conferences
held so far, it explicitly mentions fossil fuels as elements contributing to
climate change. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in the UK, one of
the critics of the deal was India, who said the plan to phase out coal use was
unfair for poorer countries.

FOOTBALL Romania’s national football team Sunday defeated
Liechtenstein 2-0 in Vaduz, but still failed to qualify into the playoffs for
the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as it finished the preliminary phase 3rd
in its group. Second in the group came North Macedonia, which has reached the
playoffs after defeating Iceland 3-1. The top-ranking team in the group,
Germany, goes straight into the World Cup final tournament. Romania’s coach Mirel
Radoi announced he would leave the national team. Romania last took part in a
World Cup final tournament in 1998. (tr. A.M. Popescu)