October 27, 2022
A roundup of local and international news.
România Internațional, 27.10.2022, 13:55
Visit. After talks on Wednesday with high-ranking European and NATO officials, the Brussels agenda of the visiting Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciucă today includes talks with the EU commissioner for transport Adina Vălean. Earlier today, Ciucă met a delegation of Romanian MEPs in Brussels during a working breakfast. The main topic of Wednesdays meeting was Romanias accession to the Schengen area. The talks held at the NATO headquarters highlighted Romanias role as a reliable NATO ally.
Protests. The members of the Sanitas healthcare trade union are toady picketing the headquarters of the labour and energy ministries in Bucharest to warn of the consequences of the economic crisis, with low-income persons being hardest hit. The protest is organised at national level. Sanitas members together with other trade unions are today launching protest actions across all eight Euroregions in the country, in the context of similar actions at European level.
Energy. Energy prices are to decline by 11% next year according to a World Bank projection. The slower pace of world economic growth and the COVID restrictions in China may lead to a deeper fall, the World Bank also notes. Energy prices will still be 75% higher than the average of the last five years. The level of global debt, which exceeds 300 thousand billion dollars, must be kept in check, or more people will face poverty. The World Bank head David Malpass told the BBC that supporting and stimulating economies was the best solution during the pandemic, but that the consequences of those expenses are beginning to appear in the form of a rise in inflation and interest rates. Any future support, including helping people cope with energy bills, must be clearly targeted, he recommended.
Football. The Romanian football champions CFR Cluj are today playing away against the Turkish side Sivasspor in a Group G match in the Europa Conference League. CFR Cluj are currently in second place in their group with 7 points, the same as leaders Sivasspor, followed by Slavia Prague from the Czech Republic and FC Ballkani from Kosovo, both with 4 points each. Also today, the Romanian vice-champions FCSB are facing the Belgian side Anderlecht in the competitions Group B. The English side West Ham are in the lead with 12 points, followed by Silkeborg from Denmark with 6 points, Anderlecht with 4 points and FCSB with 1 point. (CM)
