PARLIAMENT This week sees the start of this
\nyear’s first parliamentary session in Romania, marked by a special election
\ncontext in which Romanian citizens are expected to take part in 4 types of
\nelections-for the European Parliament, for the national parliament, as well as
\npresidential and local elections. The Senate’s agenda includes, among others,
\nemergency orders concerning the farmers and carriers who have been protesting
\nacross the country. The Chamber of Deputies has a number of bills pending
\nendorsement, including legislation concerning drug trafficking and gambling. This
\nweekend the justice minister Alina Gorghiu said 3 bills have been submitted to
\nParliament, which are aimed at curbing drug trafficking. They concern the
\nset-up of a national drug trafficking register and of regional rehab centres, while
\nthe so-called 2 Mai Bill eliminates suspended sentences for drug trafficking
\nand increases penalties to up to 10 years in prison. Other bills pending
\napproval introduce 10-year driving bans for DUI, and healthcare and
\npsychological assistance for people found in possession of illegal drugs.<\/p>\n
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ECONOMY An International
\nMonetary Fund mission headed by Jan Kees Martijn arrives
\nin Bucharest today to review the latest economic and financial developments.
\nThis is a regular consultation based on Romania’s relation with the IMF, and it
\ncomes 4 months after the previous visit. The IMF expects a budget deficit of 6%
\nof GDP and an economic growth rate of 2.3% this year. IMF experts also
\nrecommend a number of additional reforms, and in the previous assessment visit
\nthey mentioned the scrapping of the remaining exemptions, privileges and
\nloopholes, a more efficient VAT implementation, a reformed property tax system,
\nand the use of fiscal policies in order to promote efficient energy and the
\nclean energy transition. Romania has no ongoing agreements with the IMF at
\npresent.<\/p>\n
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BRANCUSI Some 100 works were included in the largest
\nexhibition in 50 years in Romania devoted to the sculptor Constantin Br\u00e2ncu\u0219i.
\nOpened in late September in western Romania as part the Timi\u015foara – European
\nCapital of Culture, the exhibition came to an end on Sunday night. Sculptures,
\nphotographs, arhive documents and footage were on display in Timi\u015foara’s National
\nArt Museum. To mark the end of the exhibition, the National Bank of Romania
\nlaunched a commemorative silver coin honouring the sculptor Constantin Br\u00e2ncu\u015fi. <\/p>\n
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PROTESTS The French farmers’ protests have
\nreached a new stage today, with major roadways into Paris and other large
\ncities to be blocked indefinitely as of today. The main trade union in the sector threatened
\nlarge-scale operations, including a complete obstruction of food supply flows
\nto the capital city’s supermarkets, so that the locals may feel the effects of
\nthe protests. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the plan
\nincludes the use of tractors to shut down motorways and slow down traffic. Similar
\nsteps are also planned for France’s second-largest city, Lyon. Farmers protest the
\ninadequate payments for their produce, the red tape and the competition coming
\nfrom cheap imports. In a move to address the situation, PM Gabriel Attal admitted
\nthat a first set of measures, announced on Friday, was insufficient and
\npromised new decisions to increase farmer revenues would be made this week. <\/p>\n
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MIDDLE EAST Iran denies involvement in
\nSunday’s drone attack on a US military base in north-eastern Jordan, near the
\nSyrian and Iraqi borders, in which 3 US troops were killed. The Islamic
\nresistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack, and the US president
\nJoe Biden said these are groups known to be supported by Iran. Biden warned
\nthat the US would respond to the attack. These are the first US troops killed
\nin the Middle East since the start of the war in Gaza, prompting fears of an
\nextended conflict in the region. Meanwhile, Paris hosted a meeting of officials
\nfrom the US, Egypt, Qatar and Israel, aimed at brokering a new ceasefire in Gaza
\nand the release of the hostages taken by Hamas. Negotiations will continue this
\nweek. Violence continues in Gaza, and locals say Israeli air raids and shelling
\nhave increased in recent days in the region’s north and centre. According to
\nthe Israeli Army, its troops are involved in heavy fighting in the south, in Khan
\nYounis, where they have taken out a number of terrorists. The humanitarian
\ncrisis is worsening, and UN calls on nations to resume their donations. (AMP)<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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