February 12, 2021
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 12.02.2021, 13:55
BUDGET BILL – The draft state budget for the current year has been put up for public debate on the Finance Ministry’s website. It is based on a deficit of around 7% of the GDP and an economic growth rate of 4.3%. Under the draft budget child allowances remain unchanged, pensions increase only from January 1, 2022, there will be no more holiday vouchers this year, and students will only benefit from a 50% discount on rail transport. Also, investment is estimated at 5.5% of the GDP, which is more than last year. The leftist opposition and the employers’ and trade union federations criticise the austerity measures proposed by the Government.
PANDEMIC — The state of alert has been extended by 30 days in Romania, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Among the measures in place are compulsory mask wearing, travel restrictions during the night, special conditions for cultural and sports events and for activities in tourism and the hospitality industry. For each of them there are exceptions or special implementation conditions. The way of calculating the number of infections, based on which restrictions are set for regions and localities, will be changed.
EU — Romanian PM, Florin Citu, is explaining EU leaders in Brussels how Romania wants to use the European money allotted to the country under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, a mechanism aimed at easing the social and economic effects of the pandemic. Romania has been allotted around 30 billion euros. The Romanian PM has meetings today with the European Council President, Charles Michel, and with the EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. On Thursday, at the meetings he had with European officials, he tackled the issue of Romania’s Schengen accession and the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism.
INFLATION — In Romania, the annual inflation rate went up to almost 3% this January, from 2.1% in December 2020. The price of non-food products went up by 3.25%, that of food products increased by 2.88% and of services by 2.51%, according to data made public today by the National Statistics Institute. The National Bank of Romania forecasts a 2% inflation rate at the end of the first quarter of the year, a 2.2% inflation rate at the end of the second quarter and a 2.4% rate at the end of the third quarter. The inflation rate at the end of 2020 is estimated at 2.5%.
MOLDOVA – The Republic of Moldova is getting closer to calling early elections, a move that the pro-European President Maia Sandu and the parties supporting her are in favour of, given that the current Parliament in Chisinau is dominated by the socialists and their allies. The Moldovan Parliament rejected on Thursday the President’s proposal for PM and a second failed attempt to appoint the head of the government will trigger early elections. There is a big chance for this to happen, given that Maia Sandu nominated again Natalia Gavrilita, the candidate that Parliament has just rejected. Gavrilita has harshly criticized the makeup of the current Parliament, saying it no longer represents the interests of the Moldovan citizens.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no. 2 in the world, has today qualified to the fourth round of the Australian Open, after defeating the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (WTA 32) in two sets, 6-1, 6-3. Also today, another Romanian, Sorana Cirstea, was defeated by the Czech Marketa Vondrousova in the third round and left the competition. (EE)
