October 8, 2021 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 08.10.2021, 19:51
Covid-19Ro. In Romania, the coronavirus infection rate has reached record highs, exceeding 12 per one thousand inhabitants in capital Bucharest, and 10 in Timisoara (west) and in other eight towns. Data centralized by authorities show that more than 400 localities report an incidence of over 6 per one thousand, and the threshold of 3 has been exceeded in more than 1,300 localities. Some 14,000 new cases were reported on Friday, and the death toll reached 385. The seriousness of this fourth wave of the pandemic in Romania can be seen in hospitals, which are now desperately trying to find solutions for the too big a number of patients. Another 131 intensive care beds were made available on Friday at national level. The head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, has announced that talks are being held with the Hungarian authorities to send some of the Romanian patients in serious condition to the neighboring country. We recall that the government has extended the state of alert for another 30 days, and wearing a protective mask has become mandatory also outside, there were the incidence is above 6.
Government. In the run-up to Mondays consultations with President Klaus Iohannis, the National Liberal Party, the main partner in the ousted government of Romania, announced on Friday, after a meeting of the party leadership, that if a parliamentary majority emerges, he would propose for the office of Prime Minister, again, the current PM and leader of the party, Florin Citu. If such a majority cannot be formed though, the Liberals will no longer propose a name for PM. The Save Romania Union, a former governing partner, is willing to return to power, but without Florin Citu as head of the Cabinet. The opposition Social Democrats, the promoters of the motion by which the PNL-UDMR Government was dismissed on Tuesday, say that the only solution is early elections.
Energy. Capping the energy price only moves the problem from one place to another, and the solution proposed by suppliers is about reducing or canceling the excise and value added tax (VAT), according to Laurenţiu Urluescu, president of the Association of Energy Suppliers in Romania. The capping of energy and natural gas prices, invoked by the ousted Prime Minister Florin Cîţu, is a recurrent topic in the context of a sharp rise in bills recently. Experts say that such a decision can only be taken by a government with full powers. The decision could be adopted at the first government meeting, after the inauguration of the new executive.
Moldova. The European Commission approved on Friday a new installment of 50 million euros in the form of macro-financial assistance (MFA) for the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state, predominantly Romanian-speaking), a European Commission communiqué reads. The tranche is part of a 3 billion Euro macro-financial assistance package for ten enlargement and neighborhood policy partners to help curb the negative economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. These funds, allocated following the fulfillment of the agreed commitments, recognize the progress of the Republic of Moldova in implementing the necessary measures to ensure a more stable and prosperous future, said the Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni. The first installment of 50 million euros for the Republic of Moldova was approved in November 2020.
Donation. Romania intends to donate 200,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu announced on Friday, in a joint press release with his counterpart from Bangladesh, Abdul Momen, who is currently visiting Bucharest. Bogdan Aurescu emphasized that Minister Abdul Momens visit to Bucharest was a premiere. The two signed a memorandum to establish a consultation mechanism between the two countries foreign ministries. According to Aurescu, the document will allow a very good structuring of cooperation in several areas, including the dialogue on bilateral management of the work force coming from Bangladesh.
Nobel. The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitri Muratov of Russia for their courageous fight for freedom of expression, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday. According to the Committee, they are representatives of all journalists who support this ideal in a world where democracy and freedom of the press are facing increasingly unfavorable conditions. This week, the winners of the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Medicine, Chemistry and Literature have also been announced. The prize in economics will be announced on October 11. (MI)
