February 10, 2017
President Klaus Iohannis is to make a decision on the proposal made by PM Sorin Grindeanu, who nominated the minister delegate for European Affairs, Ana Birchall, for the position of justice minister
Newsroom, 10.02.2017, 13:44
JUSTICE – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, is to make a decision on the proposal made by PM Sorin Grindeanu who nominated the minister delegate for European Affairs, Ana Birchall, for the position of justice minister. The holder of the justice portfolio, Florin Iordache, on Thursday tendered his resignation, although he claimed all initiatives he assumed were legal and constitutional. His decision has been hailed by the opposition parties. We recall that the left wing Romanian Government issued an emergency decree amending the criminal law, according to the proposals made by Florin Iordache. Even if the emergency decree, criticised by the main judicial institutions in the country and by Romanias foreign partners in the EU and NATO, has been repealed by the Government, protests continued on Thursday for the 10th day in a row, in Bucharest and other big cities.
FINANCIAL – The governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, has again drawn public attention that instability and political tensions will affect Romanias monetary, financial and even macro-economic stability. The protests staged in recent times, generated by the Governments amending the criminal law by an emergency decree have a significant impact on monetary and financial stability, which will also impact the countrys economic growth this year, the central bank governor warned on Thursday. Mugur Isarescu said the National Bank forecasts an economic growth rate of 4-5% of the GDP this year. The National Forecast Commission has recently announced a 5.2% growth rate this year, being more optimistic than the central banks governor.
ECONOMY – The Romanian coalition Government made up of the Social Democratic Party –the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats on Thursday adopted a memorandum on setting up the Sovereign Fund for Development and Investment. It will be a huge entity bringing together the most significant profit-making state owned companies-approximately 200 of them. Economy minister Alexandru Petrescu has explained the Fund will be a partner for institutional investors, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, investment funds as well as other private investors. Well bring you further details after the news.
FRONTEX– The Romanian border police officers this week have rescued to safety over 50 people from the Aegean Sea, as part of a FRONTEX mission. Those rescued – 18 men, 13 women and 21 children-said they originate from such countries as Syria, Iraq, Nigeria and Kuwait. They were on board an overcrowded motor boat, with a high risk of overturning. As of January 1, a team made up of 23 Romanian border police officers is carrying out, for four months, surveillance missions along the EUs external borders, as part of the Joint Operation “EPN POSEIDON SEA, coordinated by FRONTEX. So far, the Romanian policemen have rescued over 330 people.
TENNIS – Romanias Fed Cup team is meeting Belgium at the weekend, in the first round of World Group II. The first two individual tennis matches are scheduled for Saturday, to be followed by the double tennis matches on Sunday. In the absence of Simona Halep, the best ranked Romanian woman tennis player of the moment, no.4 WTA, who sustained an injury, Romanias team is made up of Irina Begu WTA no. 29, Monica Niculescu WTA no. 36, Sorana Carstea WTA no. 62 and Patricia-Maria Tig WTA no. 106. Fed Cup is the womens tennis version of the Davis Cup. (Translated by D. Vijeu)
