Economic
\ngrowth.<\/b> The World Bank has improved its forecast with regard to Romania’s
\neconomic growth rate in 2016 to 5.1% from a previous June estimate of 4%,
\naccording to its economic report for Europe and Central Asia published today.
\nThe World Bank warns, however, that the growth seen by the Romanian economy
\nthis year will slow down to 3.8% in 2017 and 3.4% in 2018. The consolidated
\nbudget deficit is expected to grow, nearing 3% of the GDP, both in 2016 and
\n2017, from 1.5% in 2015, which will lead to an increase in public debt. The
\nRomanian government will have to keep in check current spending pressures and
\nimprove tax efficiency to prevent the activation of the excessive deficit
\nprocedure. The International Monetary Fund has also recently estimated that
\nRomania will see the highest economic growth rate in Europe, with 5%, followed
\nby Ireland with 4.9%. At the beginning of the month, the European Commission
\nrevised its economic growth forecast for the Romanian economy this year up to
\n5.2%. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Protests.<\/b> Public employees from around the country have
\nstaged protests today demanding salary rises. They are unhappy that a
\ngovernment ordinance on a unitary salary scheme for the public sector has not
\nbeen implemented and warn this is only the first step before an all-out strike.
\nPolice officers have also taken to the street to protest against the pension law,
\nwhile the members of the Sanitas trade union have picketed the headquarters of
\nthe healthcare ministry in solidarity with their colleagues negotiating the
\ncollective employment contract. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Anticorruption.<\/b> The permanent bureau of the
\nChamber of Deputies in Bucharest today discusses a request by the National
\nAnticorruption Directorate to begin criminal investigations against MP Eugen
\nBejinariu as part of the Microsoft 2 case. Bejinariu served as a government
\nsecretary general in the 2003-2004 period and is investigated for aggravated
\nabuse of office at the time. The Microsoft 2 case, which led to losses of tens
\nof millions of euros, refers to the rental of licences for schools starting in
\n2004. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Visit.<\/b>
\nRomania’s foreign minister Lazar Comanescu is in Rome for talks with his
\nItalian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni about the future of Europe after Brexit,
\nmigration, the enlargement of the European Union and the Western Balkans. Also
\ntoday, Comanescu makes a visit to the Vatican and meets Romanian youth studying
\nin Rome. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Military drills.<\/b>
\n30 military from the Romanian Land Forces are taking part in the Iron Sword 16
\nmultinational exercise under way in Lithuania starting today until the 3rd
\nof December. Around 2,000 troops from Canada, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania,
\nLatvia, the UK, Poland, Romania and the US will be carrying out tactical drills
\ninvolving all types of weapons and using NATO techniques, tactics and
\nprocedures. Iron Sword 16 forms part of the Black Sea Rotational Force 16
\nmultinational exercise and aims to increase the level of interoperability
\nthrough joint training with a view to taking part in peace keeping and
\ncounter-insurgence operations. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Defence industry law.<\/b> Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis
\nhas signed a decree to promulgate the law regulating the national defence
\nindustry that was passed last month by the Senate, the decision-making body in
\nthis case. The law regulates the organisation of the defence sector into
\ndifferent strategic areas, aiming to enhance its competitiveness and diversify
\nits products, as well as the sector’s participation in European defence
\nindustry activities. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Warning.<\/b>
\nThe US State Department on Monday warned American citizens of increased danger
\nof terrorist attacks in Europe over the winter holidays. The State Department
\nsaid there is credible information indicating that terrorist organisations
\nsuch as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda and their affiliates continue to plan
\nsuch attacks. The travel alert issued by Washington also recalls the terrorist
\nattacks committed this year in Belgium, France, Germany and Turkey. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Medal.<\/b>
\nAfter 8 years, the Romanian wrestler Gheorghita Stefan will receive the bronze
\nmedal for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, as the Uzbekistan wrestler Soslan
\nTigiev, who had defeated him, was stripped of his medal, having failed a drug
\ntest, the International Wrestling Federation has announced. Stefan was defeated
\nby Tigiev in the eighthfinals of the 74 kg category in the men’s freestyle
\nwrestling and again by the Belarussian wrestler Murad Gaidarov in the fight for
\nthe bronze medal. According to the new ranking, the Russian wrestler Buvaisar
\nSaitiev keeps his gold medal, Gaidarov wins the silver, while the Romanian
\nwrestler Gheorghita Stefan and the Bulgarian wrestler Kiril Terziev win the
\nbronze. Romania’s medal tally for the Beijing Games now numbers 4 gold medals,
\n1 silver and 4 bronze. (Trans. by: C. Mateescu)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The World Bank has revised its forecast for Romanias economic growth this year to 5.1% from 4% in June.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":75903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[31223,31222,28945,29772,29022],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-101500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsflash","tag-gheorghita-stefan","tag-iron-sword-16","tag-klaus-iohannis","tag-lazar-comanescu","tag-world-bank"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n