November 2, 2023 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 02.11.2023, 20:01
Budget. The parties in the governing coalition in Bucharest have started discussions on the draft budget for the coming year. It will be outlined on a much lower deficit target than in 2023 and will have to take into account the future pension law and the reform of the single salary scheme. Previously, the government approved, in Thursdays meeting, the list of priority public investment projects for 2024, a memorandum that will form the basis of the budget development. According to the document, the Ministry of Transport owns the most projects, 108, which are in various stages of completion, and would receive 90% of the investment funds. The Justice Minister Alina Gorghiu has stated that she would like the future budget to fund projects such as the Justice District, the construction of two penitentiaries, new vouchers for crime victims and the rehabilitation of the premises where magistrates work. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has said that the budget must be built on projects and maintain this years pace and even exceed it in terms of funding.
Protest. On Thursday, the employees of the national and county health insurance houses stopped work with the public indefinitely, unhappy with the fact that the authorities are not finding solutions to ensure decent salaries in this field. According to a statement from the National Trade Union Bloc, the processing of documents received from services providers, businesses, medical leave and national health programmes may be seriously disrupted. Trade unions say that, together with the management of the National Health Insurance Houses, they tried to solve the salary problems in this institution, proposing draft legislation to address the issue. The bill was, however, amended by MPs to include all public sector health workers and withdrawn from Parliament because of its high financial impact. The president of the National Trade Union Block, Dumitru Costin, has sated that this is an issue well-known by the Government and Parliament, as the union talked with the PM, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and the ministers of labor and finance. He has also said that there are funds to increase the salaries of all employees in the health insurance sector. On the other side, the Health Minister Alexandru Rafila says that the interruption in the provision of medical services is unacceptable. According to him, although the National Health Insurance House has the biggest budget in Romania, there is a problem related to contribution, as only 5 million people contribute to the insurance fund, while 19 million benefit from medical services.
Poll. An IRSCOP poll using a sample of almost 1,000 respondents shows that 86% of people in Romania believe the Hamas attack on 7th October in which 1,400 people were killed, is to be condemned. 66% believe Israel has the right to attack Hamas in Gaza to destroy this organization, and 78% agree that Romania should immediately provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza. 36% of respondents are more worried about the conflict in the neighboring Ukraine than that in Israel, while 35% are equally worried about both. 46% believe Romania has done too much for Ukraine, while 40% believe it has done as much as was needed. 79% have little or very little trust in their governments ability to protect the population in the event of an armed threat.
Hostages. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that a fourth citizen with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. The Embassy of Romania in Tel Aviv and the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa maintain contact with the Israeli authorities on this issue. On Thursday, in Bucharest, approximately 300 people participated in a solidarity rally with the hostages taken by Hamas. The demonstrators carried flags and photos of those kidnapped or killed and placards in support of the State of Israel. The confirmed number of hostages rose to 242, according to the latest data updated by the Israeli Defense Forces. According to spokesperson Daniel Hagari, most of the captives are believed to be alive.
Anniversary. Radio Romania on Wednesday celebrated 95 years since its first live broadcast. An awards gala was held to mark the event, with 12 excellence awards being granted in different fields, from culture, education and science to multiculturalism and healthcare. At the end of the gala, Radio Romanias president and director general Răzvan Ioan Dincă unveiled the Radio Romania application.
Gaudeamus. The city of Timisoara, this year a European Capital of Culture, is hosting, until Sunday, the Gaudeamus Book Fair, organized by Radio Romania. The fair gathers 40 of the most important publishers and book distributers from across the country. The Romexpo Center in Bucharest will also host a Gaudeamus fair between the 22nd and the 26th of November. (MI)
