November 14, 2017
Romania's GDP in the third quarter of the year, up by 8.8% as against the same period of 2016
Newsroom, 14.11.2017, 14:28
GDP — In 2017 Romania’s real GDP went up by 2.6% in the third quarter as against the previous quarter, and by 8.8% as compared with the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Institute. In the first nine months this year Romania’s economy grew by 7%. Early this month the National Forecast Commission revised upwards the country’s economic growth prospects for this year, from 5.6% to 6.1%. Also, according to the European Commission, the Romanian economy could go up by 5.3% this year and by 4.2% in 2018. In October the IMF also revised upwards the Romanian economy’s growth estimations for this year, from 4.2% to 5.5%.
CELEBRATION — Romania celebrates today 139 years since the southeastern province of Dobruja was unified with the country. The province had been, up to that point, under Ottoman rule. In 1878, following the Russian-Romanian-Turkish war, the International Peace Congress in Berlin recognised Romania’s independence and the province of Dobruja together with the tiny Snake Island in the Black Sea as part of its territory. Authorities in the counties of Tulcea and Constanta are staging ceremonies to celebrate this historic event.
NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION – The National Liberal Party, the main right wing opposition party in Parliament, is today starting negotiations with representatives of other parliamentary parties to support the no-confidence vote against the coalition government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and headed by Mihai Tudose. The Liberal President Ludovic Orban has announced that information campaigns will be organised across the country and protest rallies will be staged in the country and abroad. The Liberals also requested the Ombudsman to challenge the tax reform promoted by the government in the Constitutional Court. Rallies were staged in Bucharest and other cities to protest against the governments new measures and the bills on the amendment of the laws governing the justice system. Both the prime minister Mihai Tudose and the Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea said they would not reconsider their planned changes to the tax code, which they say would bring in more revenues to the budget and the pension fund, while also simplifying procedures for businesses.
QUAKE – Iran has declared a day of mourning for the victims of Sunday’s quake. According to the authorities’ latest report, over 450 people lost their lives after the earthquake struck the country near its Iraki border. The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was about 32 kilometers southwest of the city of Halabjah and measured 7.2. On the Iraqi side, the most extensive damage was in the town of Darbandikhan, in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region. Iran is prone to near daily quakes as it sits on many major fault lines. In 2003, a 6.6 magnitude destroyed the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people.
TENNIS – The Romanian-Dutch pair Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer today face the Finnish-Australian pair Henri Kontinen and John Peers in their second match at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. In their first match on Sunday, Tecau and Rojer lost to the all-French pair Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. This is the fifth time Tecau plays in the World Tour Finals doubles after 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, the last time he was there winning the title together with Rojer.
FOOTBLALL – The Romanian national football squad today take on the similar team of the Netherlands, in a friendly game in Bucharest. On Thursday, November 9, in the city of Cluj, Romania outclassed the national team of Turkey in a test game, 2-nil. Today’s match is the fourth for the Romanian team with Cosmin Contra as head coach, who replaced in September the German Cristoph Daum.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
