November 23, 2013
A roundup of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 23.11.2013, 14:18
PARLIAMENT – The specialised committees in the Parliament of Romania finalised the 2014 budget bill, which will be discussed next week by the joint finance and budget committees. The bill may be subject to voting in Parliament in mid-December. The only budget portion not yet discussed is the one for European affairs, which will be analysed on Sunday. Certain fields, such as social security, agriculture, defence and culture have received additional funding. The draft social security budget will enable a 3.75% increase in pension benefits and a raise of national minimum wages.
UNIONS – In Romania, the members of the Sanitas Trade Union Federation will go on a warning strike on Monday morning, for two hours, to raise awareness on several demands. The announcement was made after a meeting today with senior Healthcare Ministry officials, in which the collective bargaining agreement was discussed. According to the senior vice-president of the Sanitas Federation, only emergencies will be attended during the strike. The National Council of the Sanitas Federation decided in mid-November to organise a token strike on November the 25th, followed by an indefinite general strike starting on November 28th. The public healthcare employees demand, among others, the allotment of 6% of the GDP for this field and the resignation of Healthcare Minister Eugen Nicolăescu.
JUSTICE – A European Commission delegation will be in Romania as of next week, for an assessment under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in the judiciary. The delegation members will have meetings with Romanian officials, including the Justice Minister Robert Cazanciuc. The most recent European Commission mission in Bucharest under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism was held in September, at expert level. The topics approached on this occasion included the endorsement by the Romanian Parliament of a criminal legislation package, the institutional dialogue with civil society and the continuing implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy.
CULTURE – The Confucius Institute has been inaugurated in Bucharest, in the presence of Prime Minister Victor Ponta and of the Ambassador of the Republic of China to Bucharest, Huo Yuzhen. The Institute was established by the University of Bucharest jointly with China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing. The Confucius Institute will be a platform for the development of Romanian-Chinese cultural relations, for promoting the teaching of Chinese through programmes addressing the general public, and for supporting research projects and the organisation of scientific events. During November 25th to 29th, the Confucius Institute will host the Week of Chinese Culture, with Chinese language courses, film screenings and debates.
GAUDEAMUS – The Gaudeamus International Book Fair, initiated and organised by Radio Romania, continues in Bucharest. Over one hundred books were launched on Friday, the third day of the fair, in the presence of their authors. On Saturday, the Romanian students who have won international competitions are awarded, as part of a project called “Grade A Guests: Romania’s Olympiad Winners.” Visitors are invited to donate books, in a project entitled “Books are coming home.” The donations will reach Romanian-language schools in the Timoc Valley region in Serbia. The Gaudeamus International Fair is the most important event of this kind in Romania. This 20th edition, which comes to an end on Sunday, brings together 400 exhibitors and more than 600 events.
INTERNATIONAL – The foreign ministers of six world powers (France, the UK, USA, Russia, China and Germany) as well as representatives of Iran are gathering in Geneva today for negotiations on the Iranian nuclear deal. The head of the Iranian negotiators said on Friday that the parties are closer to an agreement, but that important matters are still to be discussed. The negotiations are based on a draft agreement stipulating a gradual reduction of the Iranian nuclear programme, in return for a loosening of sanctions imposed on this country. The proposal has been rejected by Israel, while Iran claims its nuclear programme has civilian goals and that it is its right to enrich uranium.
