October 27, 2017
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Newsroom, 27.10.2017, 14:21
COMMISSIONER Romania is a trustworthy partner the European project can rely on, but it has to ensure a more effective and equitable system of taxes and social transfers, Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commission Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, has said in Bucharest. Romania boasts one of the highest income inequality rates in the European Union; 20% of the Romanians with the highest incomes, earns eight times more than those 20% with the lowest incomes, and this is all down to taxation, the European official has explained. According to Dombrovskis, Brussels’ advice is to reduce income taxes particularly in the case of low-paid jobs, whereas taxes on consumption, property and other sectors should be raised. The EU official has made this statement at a conference on ‘Growth favouring Social Inclusions — challenges and opportunities’, staged by the representation of the European Commission in Romania.
COMMEMORATION On October 30th Bucharest commemorates two years since the devastating fire that ripped through the Colectiv night club in the capital city where 64 people were killed and 100 wounded. The event is marked in Bucharest by the Colectiv Association through a procession called ‘the March of Guitars’ and two days of concerts. On October 30th, Radio Romania will broadcast a programme inspired from the tragedy, which is symbolically entitled ‘64’. On this occasion, people are expected to voice their discontent for the belated court trial that has been postponed for the month of November, a decision that caused dissatisfaction among the victims’ families. We recall that the club’s owners and representatives of the company that had provided the pyrotechnic devices for the concert hosted by the club have been sent to court for manslaughter and violation of fire safety regulations. The former district mayor has also been sent to court for abuse of office along with employees from the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations for having failed to sanction the club for the absence of a fire safety certificate. We recall the tragedy sparked off large-scale anti-corruption rallies, which forced the Social-Democratic cabinet led by Victor Ponta to step down.
TENNIS Romanian Simona Halep, the world’s best tennis player and the tournament’s odds-on favourite is hankering for a win against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in order to qualify for the semifinals of the WTA Finals in Singapore. In the other red group game, the already-qualified Danish Caroline Wozniacki will be up against French Caroline Garcia. Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic and US challenger Venus Williams have qualified from the white group.
AUTONOMY The temporary cancellation of Catalonia’s autonomy is today voted on in the Spanish senate, after the government made a decision in this respect late last week. According to press agencies, the Senate is likely to give a yes-vote to article 155 on withdrawing Catalonia’s autonomy. The article allows the central executive to assume the competences of a region unless that region complies with the legislation and constitutional provisions. The Spanish government sees the law as the only solution to the Catalan crisis, whereas the Catalan leaders believe the move would only fuel the crisis. In the meantime the regional Parliament in Barcelona is debating on a possible unilateral declaration of independence.
