October 19, 2022
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 19.10.2022, 14:15
GOVERNMENT — The Romanian Government is today discussing an emergency order that would extend by six months the mandates of the heads of the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority. Government members say the institution’s normal functioning is vital, given the ongoing energy crisis and the war in Ukraine. Also today ministers will discuss revenue and expenses summary reports submitted by state-owned companies and will decide on possible bonuses for students who took maximum grades at the National Evaluation and the Baccalaureate. The latter decision is aimed at stimulating academic results for the pre-university students.
MOTION – The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Wednesday rejected the simple motion against Interior Minister Lucian Bode. The motion against the Liberal minister was tabled by 55 MPs from USR and Forta Dreptei Party. The latter is a Liberal dissident party led by the former PM Ludovic Orban. The motion failed with only 88 votes in favor and 162 against. 6 MPs abstained from voting. Signatories wanted Bode to resign his position for failing to reform the institution.
EC – The European Commission has proposed new measures to solve the problem of the high price of natural gas. Thus, 40 billion euros will be used to help households and companies affected by the high energy bills. The package also includes a framework for joint gas purchases to cover at least 15% of the volumes that are needed to fill the storages for the winter 2023-2024. The European Commission also proposes a flexible targeted use of the funds available under the cohesion policy, to reduce the impact of the energy crisis on citizens and companies. The measures will be analyzed by the European leaders this week and then by energy ministers. If the 27 member states reach consensus, the technical details are to be set.
NATO – The first two convoys of armoured fighting vehicles of the French army sett off for Romania on Tuesday, as part of a mission aimed to consolidate NATO’s Eastern flank. As many as ten convoys will proggressively leave the Mourmelon-le-Grand military base in eastern France, to reach Romania. French authorities gave no details about the exact number of vehicles and their itinerary. Leclerc tanks are also to reach the Cincu military base in central Romania, to strengthen the mission under French command launched on February 28, 2022, in reaction to the Russian strikes of the neighboring Ukraine.
ACCIDENTS – Almost 20,000 people died in road accidents last year at European level, according to a report published in Brussels. The document shows a 6% increase compared to the previous year, reversing the downward trend recorded under the influence of the restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Romania, once again, is in the worst situation – 92 deaths per 1,000,000 inhabitants. At the opposite pole, Sweden has a rate of 20 per 1,000,000. The first data for the current year indicate an increase in the number of victims in traffic by more than 10% compared to the similar period in 2021. The European Commission announced in July that a new regulation on the general safety of vehicles would be applied. It is hoped that this will save over 25,000 lives and prevent at least 140,000 serious injuries by 2038.
HEALTH – Romanian Health Minister Alexandru Rafila and his Cuban counterpart Jose Angel Portal Miranda on Tuesday signed a framework document on the cooperation in the field of healthcare between Cuba and Romania, an important step in the ties between the two countries, the Romanian Embassy in Havana announced. The two ministers discussed about an exchange of good practices in the field of medical assistance and professional training and about the pharmaceutical sector. (EE)
