April 29, 2016 UPDATE

Click here for a round-up of news from Romania

Newsroom, 29.04.2016, 12:20

GOOD FRIDAY– Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide, including Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, marked Good Friday, the day also known as Holy Friday, when Christians commemorate the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his entombment. Hundreds of people in Targu Jiu, southern Romania, symbolically retraced “Via Dolorosa” or the Way of Suffering, marching in the longest such procession in Europe. On Sunday, Orthodox and Greek-Catholics believers will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

LAW– Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday promulgated the law under which the teaching staff in the state sector will receive back due incentives and raises, for the 2008-2011 period, without demanding that in a court. The document was adopted early this month by the Chamber of Deputies, as the decision-making body. The sums to be given back will be spaced out and will be paid in the following five years, as follows: 5% of the salary difference between the initial wages and the cut salaries in the first year, 10% in the second year, 25% in the third and fourth years, respectively, and 35% in the last year. These sums of money will be paid annually, in equal quarterly tranches.

COLECTIV-The case concerning the fire that killed 64 young people in Bucharest’s Colectiv nightclub last autumn has reached the trial stage. Six people were sent to Court, including the three owners of the nightclub, under charges of manslaughter, bodily harm and breach of workplace safety and health regulations. Sixty-four people died and over 100 others were injured in the tragedy that shocked the entire country.

UNEMPLOYMENT-The unemployment rate in Romania continues to be on the decrease, being slightly smaller in March as against the previous month 6.4% from 6.5%, according to the National Statistics Institute. Of the total number of people aged between 15 and 74, less than 600 thousands were still looking for a job in March. This figure is also smaller as compared with the same month of last year, when the number of unemployed stood at 613 thousand.

NATIONAL OPERA SCANDAL– The Prime Minister’s Control Body has initiated an investigation at the National Opera House in Bucharest mostly to establish the way in which people were hired in the institution’s high-level positions. Over the past few days, three performances have been cancelled at the Opera House, against the backdrop of discontent voiced by the opera employees about the successive nominations for the position of director general, as well as about disparities between the salaries of the Romanian and foreign ballet dancers, respectively. The Culture Minister Vlad Alexandrescu announced on Thursday he would step down at the request of prime minister Dacian Ciolos, who will nominate another person at the helm of the ministry. On Friday, Alexandrescu said he agreed with the prime minister not to step down before Easter.

DEFENSE AND DETERRENCE- The Romanian, Ukrainian and Turkish border police plan to set up a joint patrol fleet in the Black Sea, aimed at ensuring stability in the region. Combating poaching and drug and weapons trafficking will be the patrol fleet’s main tasks. In Bucharest, Romanian Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc has recently announced that Romania will initiate procedures for the setting up of a NATO fleet in the Black Sea, for defence and deterrence purposes. Moscow has criticized this move, saying that it seriously undermines security and stability in this part of Europe forcing Russia to respond in order to maintain its security.

BOXING-Romanian Lucian Bute will return to the boxing ring on Saturday evening. In a boxing gala hosted by Washington, Bute will fight Gambian-born Swedish boxer Badou Jack for the WBC super middleweight belt. Jack Badou has 20 wins in professional competitions, of which 12 by knockout, and only 1 defeat. Lucian Bute is the former super middleweight champion in the IBF version. He successfully defended his title nine times, for nearly four years and a half. He has 32 wins, of which 25 by knockout, and three defeats. If he wins on April 30, Bute will become the only Romanian boxer to hold two world titles in the two boxing versions.