December 27, 2024

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 27.12.2024, 13:55

Government. The governing coalition in Bucharest ( PSD-PNL-UDMR) meets today, in the first meeting after signing the operating agreement, to discuss the ordinance limiting public spending. According to some political sources, the most recent form of the ordinance provides that in 2025 state employment will be frozen, overtime will be compensated with free time, and state salaries and pensions will also be frozen. The leaders of the coalition could determine, also today, the date on which the presidential elections will be held.

Defense. The radar surveillance system of the Romanian Army detected, last night, in an area approximately 15 km east of the town of Chilia Veche, Tulcea county, close to the border with Ukraine invaded by Russian troops, the signla of a small aerial target, moving towards the national airspace. General Constantin Spînu, the spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, stated that the measures required by the procedures were taken urgently, including the preparation for takeoff of the aircraft in the Air Police Combat Service. There is no information about a possible impact of the target on the national territory.

Schengen. As of January 1, 2025, when Romania joins the Schengen area of free European movement also by land, 33 border crossing points with Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as on the Black Sea and the maritime Danube, will be permanently closed. It’s 17 road and rail crossing points located on Romania’s western border with Hungary and 14 road points, including ferry crossings, rail and port points on the border with Bulgaria and two port crossing points in Brăila and Cernavoda. The Ministry of the Interior has debated a draft government decision in this regard. From the beginning of 2025, there will no longer be checks at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria at the crossing points. Such checks will only be done randomly, based on risk analysis. The lifting of controls at the land borders takes place after the so-called partial accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, in late March.

Survey. More than a quarter of Romanians (27%) are pessimistic about the year 2025, by 8% more than last year, according to the latest study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research. Also, 45% of Romanians have neither an optimistic nor a pessimistic perspective, this attitude highlighting the uncertainty they feel about the future. On the other hand, 28% say that they look optimistically towards the coming year, the share being higher, 33%, among those with incomes over 6,000 lei (the equivalent of 1,200 euros). Romanians’ pessimism reaches high levels in relation to the prospects of the country’s evolution next year. Reducing corruption (54%), reducing inflation (51%) and improving the economic situation (47%) are considered difficult goals to achieve in the next 12 months.

Electricity. Almost half of the electricity that was consumed in Romania, on Wednesday, the first day of Christmas, came from wind turbines – show the data provided by the largest European organization dedicated to supporting this type of energy, WindEurope. Across Europe, 19% of energy consumption was supplied by wind turbines. The leader is Sweden, with 65%, followed by Denmark with 59%. In Romania, the share was 49 percent. On Thursday, 35% of the energy consumed in Romania came from wind turbines, allowing Romania to export around 2,000 megawatts.

Saint Stephen. Orthodox Christians, which are the predominant religious denomination in Romania, celebrate, today, the First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen, the first martyr of Christianity. More than 520,000 Romanians, mostly men, bear the name of this saint.

Tennis. Romanian tennis players Ana Bogdan and Anca Todoni scored victories today, in the qualifications round of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane (Australia), with 1,520,600 US dollars in prize money, which marks the beginning of the new season. Ana Bogdan (32 years old, 114 WTA) defeated the Australian Arina Rodionova (35 years old, 164 WTA) in the first preliminary round, 6-1, 6-2, after 64 minutes. Anca Todoni (20 years old, 118 WTA) won just as easily against the Swedish Mirjam Bjorklund (26 years old, 770 WTA), 6-1, 6-2, in 68 minutes. Ana Bogdan will face the Colombian Emiliana Arango (24 years, 169 WTA) in the decisive match for access to the main singles events, and Anca Todoni will take on the Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (30 years, 110 WTA). (MI)