THE WEEK IN REVIEW
August 15-19 2022
Roxana Vasile, 20.08.2022, 14:03
The first budget adjustment for 2022
On Thursday, the government in Bucharest passed the first budget adjustment of this year, according to its representatives, based on an economic growth of 3.5%, on the budget revenue in the first six months, and the budget execution in that given period of time. The Finance Ministry was allotted the most money, out of which a portion has been allocated already for the state aid program for financing large scale projects. The Ministry of Labor will use its additional funds to compensate for energy prices. Also receiving additional funding are the health, transportation, and agriculture ministries. At the same time, the ministries of the interior, environment, culture, and foreign affairs have had their budgets cut. The next budget adjustment is scheduled for November. The Fiscal Council warned that this adjustment may lead to exceeding a 7% deficit in the GDP, but the Finance Ministry claimed that this can be held under control, and that the target for this year is 5.84%. Meanwhile, data published this week by the National Institute of Statistics show that the Romanian economy grew by 5.8% this semester, as opposed to the same period last year, and that the second quarter showed a growth of 2.1% as compared to the same in 2021.
The Romanian Navy celebrates
On Monday, as on every August 15, celebrations were held in all the maritime or river ports in Romania, with tens of thousands of locals and tourists attending ceremonies for Navy Day. The festivities in Constanta, on the Black Sea, were attended by President Klaus Iohannis, joined by PM Nicolae Ciuca. In his speech, President Iohannis said that Romanias naval forces have the capacity, in line with their allies, to ensure security in national and international waters. He recalled that at present the Black Sea is a part of NATOs strategic security concept. On Navy Day, the Constanta Military Port was the scene of marches by Romanian sailors, joined by their partners from Canada, France, and the US. The public was able to visit the King Ferdinand and Queen Marie frigates, as well as the training ship Mircea. Helicopters flew over the coastline to greet the crowd, and military ships sailed close by.
David Popovici — world record holder
The summer may be drier in political, economic, and social events, but this year compensated by exceptional news in sports. At only 17 years of age, Romanian swimmer David Popovici managed once again to prevail and grab the gold in both the 100 m and the 200 m freestyle events, just as he did back in June at the International Championships in Budapest. This time he was competing in the European championships in Rome. In the 100 m freestyle event, David Popovici set a new world record, with a timing of 46 seconds 86. His performance is the more valuable as the previously set record was set in 2009, when special wetsuits were facilitating movement through water. The Skinny Legend, as David dubbed himself, shifted his attention quickly towards the event that he considers the most technically challenging, the 200 m freestyle event. He crushed his adversaries, crossing the four pool lengths in 1 minute, 42 seconds, 97 hundredths, becoming junior world champion. The French publication LEquipe wrote of Popovici that he is alone on his own planet. The Spanish review Mundo Deportivo wrote that Popovici is able to turn the atypical into the normal.
Romanian athletes shine in European competitions
Although David Popovici is the uncontested star of Romanian and international sports right now, other Romanian athletes have won important titles in European competitions. On Wednesday, at the athletics competition in Munich, Bianca Florentina Ghelber came in first in the hammer throw event. She won the first gold European medal for Romania in athletics after 20 years. Also in Munich, in the rowing competitions, Romania won no less than 8 medals, five gold and 3 bronze, the best achievement by Romanian rowers ever in the European competitions.
Simona Halep once again on the top 10 list
Tennis fans had reason to celebrate. Romanian player Simona Halep rose nine places in the standings since last week, and is now 6th seeded in the WTA professional womens tennis organization. Over the weekend in Toronto Simona Halep won, then she was back on the top 10 list, which she had dropped off of a year ago, on August 9, after spending 373 consecutive week among the top ten players in the world. In Canada, the Romanian defeated in the finals Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. With this game, she was winning for the third time the Canadian Open, disputed in Montreal and Toronto, with the first two titles being won in Montreal in 2016 and 2018. Halep also became the third WTA player to win 40 million dollars in prizes, surpassed only by Venus and Serena Williams.
