September 7, 2022

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Newsroom, 07.09.2022, 13:55

FLIGHTS Freezing the accounts of the Romanian air
operator Blue Air does not justify an immediate suspension of flights, says the
Romanian environment minister, Tánczos Barna, who calls on the company to meet
its obligations to passengers and the state budget. Blue Air’s accounts were
frozen by the Environment Fund Agency because the company owes over EUR 5 mln
and is undergoing foreclosure. Three thousand people are affected, after Blue
Air suspended all its domestic and international flights until Monday, 12th
September. According to the company, the decision was made after the
Environment Ministry froze its accounts.

MOTION A simple motion tabled by Save Romania Union (USR) in
opposition against the Liberal energy minister Virgil Popescu was dismissed by
the Chamber of Deputies today, with 191 votes against and 85 votes in favour of the document, coming
from USR, the nationalist party AUR and the Force of the Right, splintered from
the Liberal Party and headed by the ex-PM Ludovic Orban. The opposition
criticised the energy minister for the lack of investments in production
facilities and for his management of the electricity and natural gas price caps.
Minister Virgil Popescu dismissed the accusations and described the USR motion
as a populist move. He also added that the new mechanism related to energy
bills will discourage speculation in the market.

VISIT The president of Hungary, Katalin Novak, was received with
honours in Bucharest today by the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, as part of
her official visit at the invitation of the president of Romania. The talks
will concern the means to diversify and deepen the bilateral dialogue, as well as the current regional, European and global situation, following Russia’s
military aggression against Ukraine. The visit comes as the 2 countries
celebrate 20 years since the governments of Hungary and Romania signed a
Strategic Partnership Declaration for 21st Century Europe. According
to the Romanian Presidency, president Iohannis will highlight Romania’s openness to strengthening bilateral cooperation and dialogue with
Hungary, a very important neighbour of Romania, so as to promote projects of
mutual interest to the benefit of the citizens of the 2 countries. This
afternoon, the Hungarian official will also have meetings with the PM Nicolae
Ciucă and with the speakers of the 2 chambers of Parliament.

ECONOMY Romania’s economy grew 5.3% in the second quarter of
this year compared to the corresponding period of 2021, the National Statistics
Institute announced. In the first half of the year, the GDP went up 5.8%,
compared to the first 6 months of last year. Contributing to this growth were
trade, automotive repairs, transport and storage services, the hospitality and
the IT&C sectors. According to the institution, the areas that hindered
economic growth were industry, where operations dropped in the reference
period, and the negative ratio between imports and exports.

SURVEY A Eurobarometer survey released on Tuesday by the European
Commission points to increased confidence of European citizens in the EU and
continuing strong support for the Union’s response to Russia’s aggression
against Ukraine. An overwhelming majority of EU citizens supports investments
in renewable energy and steps to reduce the bloc’s reliance on Russian energy
sources. Europeans are increasingly concerned with the economic situation in
the Union and in their respective countries.

FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions, CFR Cluj, Thursday play
away from home against FC Ballkani, in Pristina, Kosovo, in their first
match in Group G of the Europa Conference League. The other match in the group
is pitting Sivasspor, of Turkey, against the Czech side Slavia Prague. Romanian
vice-champions FCSB Bucharest also play away from home, in London, against West
Ham United, in Group B of the same competition. The Belgian side Anderlecht
takes on the Danish team Silkeborg IF, also in Group B. Two other Romanian
teams, CS Universitatea Craiova and Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, have lost the
qualifying stage of the Europa Conference League. (AMP)