BUDGET The PSD-ALDE ruling coalition has finalized Romania’s
\ndraft budget on 2019, which will be submitted for government’s approval on
\nFriday. The announcement was made by the country’s Finance Minister Eugen
\nTeodorovici on Thursday after a fresh round of talks with the ruling coalition
\nand the mayors. The participants managed to convince the Minister to give up
\nthe idea of transferring social expenses to the local administration. During the
\nmeeting on Wednesday, which was also attended by Liviu Dragnea, leader of the
\nmain ruling party PSD, the mayors were promised 27% more funds than last year. But
\nmayors of Romania’s big cities have explained that a budget rise will be
\ninsignificant unless the government gives up the idea of transferring social
\nprotection expenses to the local administration. The draft budget is based on
\nan economic growth of 5.5%, a 2.5% deficit and an average inflation rate of
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TALKS Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica
\nDancila on Thursday held talks in Brussels with the president of the European
\nCouncil Donald Tusk and with the First Vice President of the European
\nCommission Frans Timmermans. Major European issues were high on the agenda. During
\nthe meeting with Donald Tusk, the Romanian official reiterated Romania’s
\nsupport for a strong and united Europe in all its dimensions, political,
\neconomic and social. Referring to Brexit, the head of the Romanian government
\nsaid that the Romanian presidency of the EU Council would continue to monitor
\nthe observance of citizens’ rights after Britain’s leaving the bloc. During the
\ntalks she had with Frans Timmermans, the Romanian official referred to the rule
\nof law and the independence of the judiciary in Romania. Prime Minister Dancila
\ngave assurances the government in Bucharest would take action for the
\nobservance of values and principles lying at the foundation of the European
\nconstruction such as the observance of human rights, the rule of law and the
\nindependence of the judiciary, adding that it would also take action so that the
\nRomanian citizens may enjoy the same rights and liberties as any other European
\ncitizen. Also on Thursday, Prime Minister Dancila participated in a conference
\non ‘Fighting Antisemitism and Xenophobia’ staged by Romania as the current
\nholder of the EU’s rotating presidency. According to Dancila, Romania has
\nbecome a model in fighting Antisemitism and xenophobia as well as a model in
\nterms of education and the measures aimed at preserving the memory of the Holocaust.
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FILM Romanian production Monsters directed by Marius
\nOlteanu will be screened as part of the 69th edition of the Berlin
\nFilm Festival which kicked off on Thursday. The film, which is Romania’s single
\nentry in Berlin this year, is due to have its opening night on Saturday. ‘Monsters’,
\nwhich is vying with 16 other productions, pictures a day in the life of a young
\nmarried couple. Last year, Adina Pintilie’s feature film debut Touch Me Not
\nwon the Golden Bear trophy in Berlin. The production has been hailed for
\nchallenging the borders between fiction, documentary film and visual arts and
\nits unconventional exploration of intimacy.<\/p>\n
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\n(translated by bill)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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