COVID-19 The latest updates released by Romanian
\nauthorities point to a decrease in the number of new cases in the
\ncountry-little over 2,100. The authorities also reported 195 fatalities,
\nand more than 15,000 COVID patients are hospitalised, 1,720 of them in
\nintensive care. In the capital Bucharest the infection rate dropped below 6 per
\nthousand. On the other hand, as compared to a peak of over 110,000 people
\nvaccinated on 27th October, the vaccination rate in Romania has also
\nbeen dropping steadily. So far 6.8 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated.<\/p>\n
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CERTIFICATE The draft law that makes the digital COVID
\ncertificate compulsory at the workplace may be discussed as of today in the
\nChamber of Deputies. In a first stage, the document was rejected by the Senate.
\nThe interim PM Florin C\u00ee\u021bu called for exemplary mobilisation in the Chamber of
\nDeputies, so as to ensure the bill gets enough votes to pass. Florin C\u00ee\u0163u also
\nsaid he disagreed with the proposed free-of-charge testing of unvaccinated
\nworkers, because this would put pressure on the public budget, whereas the
\nvaccine comes at no cost to citizens. In several cities, including Bucharest, rallies
\nwere held to protest the possible introduction of the digital certificate and
\nother restrictions. <\/p>\n
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GOVERNMENT Negotiations continue in Bucharest, with
\nthe National Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic
\nUnion of Ethnic Hungarians trying to reach an agreement on a governing
\nprogramme. After Save Romania Union left the ruling coalition in September, the
\nSocial Democrats introduced a no-confidence motion and dismissed the Liberal
\ncabinet. Today the talks will focus on the public
\nfinances and justice fields. The
\nLiberal Party leader and interim PM Florin C\u00ee\u0163u announced that as far as the
\nlabour area goes, a 7% pension rise has been discussed, but that a final
\ndecision is to be made after the impact on the public budget has been analysed.
\nHe also said child allowances are also to be raised. In turn, the Social
\nDemocratic leader Marcel Ciolacu mentioned the pension and child allowance
\nincreases, but said several scenarios are being analysed and a complete set of
\nmeasures in this respect will be announced this week. So far the 3 parties have
\nnot reached an agreement on a new prime minister designate.<\/p>\n
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MIGRANTS Brussels is hosting today a meeting of EU
\nforeign ministers focusing on the situations in Belarus, Ethiopia, Western
\nBalkans and the Sahel. Romania is represented by foreign minister
\nBogdan Aurescu. According to a news release, the Romanian official is
\ntaking part, alongside his EU counterparts, in an informal working brunch with
\nthe Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. Bogdan Aurescu will
\nalso attend the ministerial meeting of the Eastern Partnership. As regards the
\nsituation in Belarus, Romania’s foreign affairs chief will express the
\ncountry’s solidarity with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, which are facing a
\ngrowing number of migrants at their borders with Belarus, and will promise to
\nsupport swift additional sanctions against Minsk.<\/p>\n
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CLIMATE The agreement to reduce coal use, reached
\nat the UN Climate talks in Glasgow, is a game-changing agreement which sounds the death knell
\nfor coal power, said the British PM Boris Johnson, the host of the
\nCOP26. According to analysts, the document, although imperfect, is nonetheless
\nan achievement, insofar that for the first time in the 25 climate conferences
\nheld so far, it explicitly mentions fossil fuels as elements contributing to
\nclimate change. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in the UK, one of
\nthe critics of the deal was India, who said the plan to phase out coal use was
\nunfair for poorer countries.<\/p>\n
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FOOTBALL Romania’s national football team Sunday defeated
\nLiechtenstein 2-0 in Vaduz, but still failed to qualify into the playoffs for
\nthe 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as it finished the preliminary phase 3rd
\nin its group. Second in the group came North Macedonia, which has reached the
\nplayoffs after defeating Iceland 3-1. The top-ranking team in the group,
\nGermany, goes straight into the World Cup final tournament. Romania’s coach Mirel
\nRadoi announced he would leave the national team. Romania last took part in a
\nWorld Cup final tournament in 1998. (tr. A.M. Popescu)<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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