October 17, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 17.10.2024, 20:00
COUNCIL – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is attending the two-day European Council meeting in Brussels. The agenda includes such topics as the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, EU competitiveness, migration, foreign affairs, as well as developments in the Republic of Moldova. European leaders will discuss the latest developments in Russia’s war of aggression, as well as multidimensional support for Ukraine. Regarding the Middle East, participants will also address the ‘alarming’ situation and the ‘risks of escalation of violence in the region’. At Romania’s proposal, the agenda of the meeting will also include talks about the situation in the Republic of Moldova, as well as support for its accession to the European Union, especially for supporting internal reforms and for strengthening resilience and stability. Ahead of the upcoming election and the referendum on the European integration of the Republic of Moldova, the issue of Russian interference in the election process will also be discussed.
WAGES – The minimum wage in Romania will be 810 EUR starting January 2025, the government announced after talks with civil society. Minimum wage in Romania is thus approach EU levels, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, adding that Romania complies with the directive according to which the minimum level must be somewhere between 47% and 52% of the European minimum wage.
ELECTION – Thursday is the deadline for submitting candidacies for the parliamentary election in Romania. 21 parties have enrolled in the race. PSD’s lists for the Senate opens with Adrian Streinu-Cercel and starts with Mihai Ghigiu for the Chamber of Deputies. The Liberals field Sorin Cîmpeanu in top position for the Senate and Sebastian Burduja for the Chamber of Deputies. USR has picked Clotilde Armand at the top of its list for the Senate and Claudiu Năsui for the Chamber of Deputies. The Right Force has chosen Ludovic Orban in top position for the Chamber of Deputies and Eugen Tomac for the Senate. Eduard Novak is running for a position of deputy in Bucharest on behalf of UDMR. AUR has designated its president, George Simion, as its top candidate for the Chamber of Deputies, and Petrișor Peiu at the top of its list for the Senate. According to the Central Election Bureau, USR, the Right Force and UDMR will be the first to appear on the ballots.
DEFENSE – The Romanian Minister of National Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, is participating, on October 17 and 18, in the meeting of the NATO defense ministers, taking place in Brussels. The meeting’s agenda includes topics of importance for the Alliance, in order to implement the decisions adopted by the heads of state and government at the NATO Summit of July in Washington DC.
CAR INDUSTRY – The Association of Car Manufacturers and Importers today hosted a new edition of the Sustainable and Accessible Mobility Forum in Bucharest. Representatives of car manufacturers, political leaders, decision-makers and other stakeholders from 35 countries attended the event. The car industry must be supported more by the government and the European Commission, as the next couple of years will be difficult for this sector, which is shaping up as an engine of economic growth, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. Bucharest is preparing support programmes, considering the entire car industry is shrinking. Without state intervention, the industry could see massive layoffs in a few years. The Prime Minister also recalled that Romania’s reindustrialization plans includes facilities for the national car industry, designed to turn Romania into a hub of technology and innovation in Southeastern Europe in the next 10 years.
MOLDOVA – 3.3 million voters are expected to hit the polls on October 20 in the Republic of Moldova for a historic ballot: a presidential election and a referendum on Moldova’s EU accession. According to the Central Election Commission, some 2,219 polls have been set up, and for the first time the ballots are printed in Romanian and 5 minority languages: Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Găgăuz, Russian and Romani. 231 stations are open in 37 countries, 60 in Italy, 26 in Germany, 20 in France and 17 in Great Britain. Moldovans can also vote in one of the 16 stations open in Romania, the same as in the United States. For security reasons, only two stations will be available in Russia, both in Moscow. 2 stations will be made available in Ukraine, in Kyiv and Odesa. The incumbent president, Maia Sandu, urged Moldovans to take part in the referendum, arguing the process will only take 3 minutes, compared to the decades Moldova had to wait to join the free and developed world.
OECD – Romania’s accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will spell benefits in terms of investment, and the Republic of Moldova might also take advantage of this position, Moldova’s Central Bank governor Anca Dragu said. Investment are safer, clearer and more dynamic at OECD level, while the best practices Romania is currently learning will also transfer to the Republic of Moldova. 65% of Moldova’s external trade is EU-bound, while half of it goes through Romania. (VP)
