November 13, 2014
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Bogdan Matei, 13.11.2014, 14:00
Candidates entering the second round of the presidential runoff in Romania on November 16 have been continuing their election campaign. The candidate of the alliance made of the Social Democratic Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Conservative Party, incumbent Social Democrat Prime Minister Victor Ponta has today posted on his Facebook page a message for the Orthodox believers who on this day celebrate Saint John Chrysostome, rated as one of the leading teachers of the Christian Church. Liberal leader Klaus Johannis, the candidate of the Christian Liberal Alliance made of the National Liberal Party and the Liberal Democratic Party has called for Parliament to convene in an emergency session to hold a debate on and turn down a draft law regulating the amnesty and pardon of a series of corruption crimes. We recall that in the first round on November 2nd Ponta got 40. 44 % of the votes, while Johannis got 30. 37% of the votes in favour.
The European Parliament in Brussels has today ratified the Republic of Moldova’s Association Agreement with the European Union. Moldovan Prime minister Iurie leanca has hailed the decision of the European Parliament, describing the event as a historic one. The European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn has stated the ratification of the document was a major achievement for the Republic of Moldova as well as for the European Union, which was essential for the enhancement of transparency and economic growth and for the support of Republic of Moldova’s stability and prosperity. The Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union was signed in Brussels on June 27, 2014. The Association Agreement was subsequently ratified by the Republic of Moldova’s Parliament on July 2nd. The document is to take effect after it will have been ratified by the parliaments of the EU’s 28 member states. Neighboring Romania was the first EU country to have ratified the agreement.
Romania’s national football squad in Bucharest on Friday will be taking on Northern Ireland, in a Group F confrontation counting towards the 2016 European Championship preliminaries. For the record, this is Romanian national football team’s fourth fixture. So far, Romania has snatched a 1-nil away win against Greece, managed a 1-all home draw against Hungary, and won the away match against Finland, 2-nil. Northern Ireland top Group F table, with 9 points, while Romania is on the runner-up position, with 7 points. At European or world level, in the last 14 years Romania has participated in a final tournament only once, that is in the 2008 European Championship, jointly hosted by Austria and Switzerland.
Romania is one of the countries with the biggest monthly growth of its industrial production rate, according to data made public by the European Satistical Office. EUROSTAT According to EUROSTAT, the industrial production across the European Union and the Euro zone has grown by naught point six per cent in September 2014, as compared to the previous month the same year. The aforementioned data also reveals that in September, the biggest industrial production growth rate was reported for Croatia, 4.6 %, the Czech Republic, 4.5 %, Republic of Ireland, 4.1 %,Hungary, 2.7 % and Romania, 2.4 %.
Romania brings 25 inventions to the 63rd edition of the EUREKA International Exhibition of Invention, Research and New Technologies. The event is held in Brussels as of today. On Friday, Romania’s Day is organized at the national stand, mounted under the aegis of the Education Ministry. Technological brokerage as well as business events will be organized, for Romanian inventors.
