November 15, 2024
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 15.11.2024, 13:55
VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis is on an official visit to Germany as of today, at the invitation of his counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Romanian official will also have meetings with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the president of the Bundestag. Talks will focus on consolidating the Romanian-German cooperation at political, economic and security level, including on strengthening the deterrence posture on NATO’s Eastern flank and the trans-Atlantic relationship. Other topics include continuing support for Ukraine and for the stabilisation and development of the Republic of Moldova. Germany is Romania’s main trade partner and the second-largest investor in the Romanian economy.
FLOODS The number of Romanian nationals who died in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, Spain, has reached 9. The information has been confirmed by the Romanian foreign ministry. According to a special task force set up by the Spanish government to centralise data on the floods in Valencia on 29 October, of the total number of victims 26 were foreign nationals, and the largest number of these were Romanians. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Spain faced new floods caused by heavy rainfalls. The city of Málaga (south) was flooded, and so were smaller towns and villages on the peninsula. Thousands of people were evacuated.
SALARIES The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis signed into law a bill transposing the EU legislation on minimum wages. PM Marcel Ciolacu announced that as of 1 January 2025, minimum wages in Romania will be increased to approx. EUR 810. Romania has reported the highest increase rate for minimum salaries in the EU in the last 10 years.
MOLDOVA The new Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, as amended following the referendum of 20 October, has been published in the country’s Official Journal. Unde the new act, Radio Chişinău reports, EU integration is a strategic goal of Moldova, and the identity of Moldova’s nation is European. The new Constitution also stipulates that Romanian is the official language of the Republic of Moldova.
CHRISTMAS The Christmas Fair in Sibiu (central Romania), one of the most visited in Eastern Europe, opens on Friday. The Sibiu Fair is the oldest such event in Romania, and receives around 300,000 Romanian and foreign visitors every year. Craiova (south) also opened its Christmas fair today, while similar events in the cities of Braşov (centre) and Oradea (north-west) are scheduled to begin on 29 November.
SHOPPING Nearly three-quarters of Romanians are concerned with price increases, according to the 2024 Holiday Shopping Report, conducted at European level. 72% of the Romanians will have smaller budgets for the winter holidays and plan on cutting down certain types of spending substantially. France reports similar concerns, followed by Spain and Italy. Worried about price rises, energy costs and personal financial pressures, Europeans tend to focus on essential expenses.
FOOTBALL Romania takes on Kosovo on home turf tonight, in the 5th round of the UEFA Nations League. A win secures the top place in the group for Romania, therefore interest in the match is huge. However, the 55,000-seat National Arena will not be filled, as a stadium section will be closed because of a penalty ruled against Romania in the game against Lithuania on 9 September. Romania’s last match in the group is against Cyprus, on Monday, 18 November. (AMP)
