November 25, 2013
A look at the main stories in Romania today.
România Internațional, 25.11.2013, 12:01
The employees affiliated to the Sanitas trade union federation went on a 2-hour warning strike on Monday to protest against under-funding in the healthcare sector. The strike followed failed talks with the health minister Eugen Nicolăescu. The dialogue with the authorities continues today. Protesters say they are prepared to start an all-out strike on the 28th of November. They call for the allocation of 6% of the GDP for the healthcare sector, higher salaries, the unblocking of jobs and a special collective agreement tailored to the system. Minister Nicolăescu says the sector would benefit from more money if trade unions agreed to reorganisation. The ministry has promised to unblock 1,200 healthcare jobs for doctors and nursing staff.
China’s prime minister Li Keqiang has today started a 4-day official visit to Bucharest, the first to Romania by a Chinese prime minister in the last 19 years. A joint declaration between the two countries’ governments will be adopted aimed at developing bilateral cooperation. A number of documents will be signed in the fields of energy, including nuclear, thermal and hydro energy, as well as the sanitary and veterinary sector, industry, IT and culture. The agenda of the Chinese official in Bucharest also includes talks with his Romanian counterpart Victor Ponta and president Traian Basescu. Furthermore, prime minister Li will address Romania’s Parliament and attend a China-Central and Eastern Europe economic forum and a meeting of heads of governments from these countries.
A European Commission delegation travels to Bucharest today for a new assessment of the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification for justice established after Romania’s entry into the European Union in 2007. Earlier this month, the Commission said the mechanism was working well and the results were good, but that it wants to assess the compliance with the recommendations of the previous report first-hand. The next report on Romania’s progress in the areas of justice and the fight against corruption will be presented in January.
The budget bill for 2014 will this week be debated by the Parliament’s budget and finance committees. The ruling Social Liberal Union wants the bill to be passed by mid December. President Traian Basescu says, however, that he will not sign the bill into law unless the government eliminates the increase in the price of fuel by 7 eurocents and that he is even prepared to challenge the bill in Constitutional Court. The opposition has also criticised the budget bill proposed by the government, with the Liberal Democratic Party describing it as an unprecedented attack on taxpayers.
Initiated and organised by Radio Romania, the 20th edition of the Gaudeamus International Book Fair came to an end on Sunday night. The 5 days of the fair saw more than 115,000 visitors, 3,000 more than last year, 75% of whom left with a book. The last day of the fair also hosted the awarding of the Gaudeamus trophies. The Romanian publisher Humanitas was the public’s choice, while the most popular book was J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
