Public sector pay rise.<\/b> The budget-finance and labour
\ncommittees of the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday amended an ordinance on public
\nsector pay rises to extend the rise to education and healthcare employees. The
\nChamber of Deputies will vote on the bill next week. The technocratic prime minister
\nDacian Ciolos said the salary rises and the elimination of a number of taxes
\nrecently proposed by Parliament ahead of the parliamentary elections of
\nDecember 11th will have a great impact on the state budget. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Radio Romania anniversary.<\/b> On Tuesday, Radio Romania celebrated 88 years since its
\nfirst broadcast. The anniversary comes after Parliament passed a new law
\naccording to which the public radio and television services will be funded
\nexclusively from the state budget. The law, which is still to be signed by the
\npresident, has been criticised by civil society and media institutions from
\nRomania and abroad, who have denounced its populist nature, given that it comes
\nahead of the parliamentary elections in December, and the risk for the two
\npublic stations to be subordinated to political interests. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
IMF report.<\/b> The economic growth rate remains
\nsolid in much of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, credit will pick up
\nagain and inflationary pressures are still low, according to the International
\nMonetary Fund’s autumn report. The shadow economy has been shrinking in all
\nstates in the region since 2005, in particular in Latvia, Lithuania and
\nRomania, the IMF notes. The report also highlights the significant progress
\nmade by some states, including Romania, in reducing non-performing loans. With
\nrespect to consumer prices, the IMF estimates that Bulgaria and Romania will
\nhave some of the highest negative average annual inflation rates in the
\nEuropean Union, but that in Romania, consumer prices will return to positive
\nvalues in 2017. The IMF also projects a minus 2% current account deficit in
\n2016 and a minus 2.8% in 2017. In the case of the Romanian economy, the IMF
\nexpects a GDP growth of 5% in 2016 and of 3.8% in 2017, the highest economic
\ngrowth rate in Europe.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Military exercise.<\/b> Romanian and
\nAmerican military are taking part in the Patriot Shock V exercise at the Capul
\nMidia shooting range in south-eastern Romania. A battery of US Patriot missiles
\nare participating for the first time in an exercise in Romania. This is an
\nadvanced surface-to-air defence system that can be used in the event of an
\nattack with aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles and which,
\naccording to the Romanian defence ministry, can detect around 100 targets and
\nguide up to nine missiles. The US and Romanian military will be testing the
\nreaction speed in the event of a crisis. The two army detachments will test
\ntheir response as part of a fictitious air defence scenario. Also for the first
\ntime, the F-16 aircraft recently purchased by Romania have taken part in the Scorpions
\nFury multinational exercise which comes to an end today at a shooting range in
\nCincu, in Brasov county, central Romania. 1,300 military from Canada, Germany,
\nthe Republic of Moldova and Romania have taken part, as well as 200 pieces of
\ntechnical equipment and 13 Romanian Air Force planes. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Republic of Moldova elections.<\/b> The pro-Russian Socialist
\ncandidate Igor Dodon obtained 47.98% of the votes in the first round of the
\npresidential elections in the Republic of Moldova, while the pro-European
\nreformist Maia Sandu got 38.71% of the votes, according to the final results
\nmade public today. The second round is scheduled for November 13th,
\nwhen around 3 million Moldovan voters will elect their president. This is the
\nfirst time in the last 16 years that the president is elected by direct vote
\nand not by Parliament. Commentators say the elections are of great political,
\nas well as geopolitical importance. Dodon wishes to denounce Molodova’s
\nintegration and free-trade agreements with the European Union and his country’s
\njoining the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, while Sandu stands
\nfor a reform of the state and European accession. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Europa League football.<\/b> Two Romanian
\nfootball teams will play in the Europa League on Thursday. In Group E,
\nchampions Astra Giurgiu face the Czech side Viktoria Plze\u0148 at home. AS Rome and Austria
\nVienna top the group, with 5 points each, followed by Astra with 3 points and
\nPlze\u0148 with 2. In Group L, vice-champions Steaua Bucharest play against FC
\nZurich away. In this group, Villareal lead with 5 points, followed by Osmanl\u0131spor and Zurich,
\neach with 4 points, and Steaua at the bottom of the ranking with 2 points. (Trans.: C. Mateescu)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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