July 7, 2021 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 07.07.2021, 19:48
Brussels ▪ Romanias economy will grow by 7.4% in 2021 and by 4.9% in 2022, after in May estimates showed a 5.1% growth rate this year and 4.9% next year, according to the interim summer forecasts, published on Wednesday by the European Commission (EC). The performance of the Romanian economy was solid in the first quarter of 2021. The GDP grew by 2.8% quarterly, its growth being supported mainly by private consumption and investment. On the other hand, net exports were significantly negative, showing a weak external demand and supply chain disruptions, the EC shows. Private consumption is expected to remain extremely robust, boosted by the lifting of restrictions, especially in sectors severely affected by the pandemic, such as the performing arts and entertainment, restaurants and hotels, as well as by the relatively solid wage increase in the first months of the year he EC estimates. At the same time, investments will remain solid in the period 2021-2022, being supported by both the public and private sectors. Within the EU, the economy is expected to expand by 4.8% in 2021 and by 4.5% in 2022.
Covid ▪ The vaccination rate across Romania among the eligible population over 12 years is about 28% – Valeriu Gheorghiţă, the head of the vaccination campaign announced. He has pointed out that, as of mid August, the number of COVID-19 cases will increase in Romania, due to the new Delta virus strain, and he has again called on the population to get vaccinated. Since the beginning of the vaccination campaign, in December last year, almost 4.8 million people have been vaccinated in Romania, of whom about 4.6 million with both doses. On the other hand, 60 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus were announced on Wednesday for the last 24 hours and 2 new deaths. The entire territory of Romania is in the so-called green scenario regarding the spread of the new coronavirus. 56 people are still in intensive care.
Project ▪ President Klaus Iohannis announced that the government would assume next week, through a memorandum, the targets and objectives of the ‘Educated Romania’ project launched in 2016 for public debate. He also showed that, following the discussions of the past days, the governing coalition expressed support for the project and is to establish a clear cut action plan with responsibilities and deadlines for implementation. President Iohannis had talks with the social dialogue partners in the education field and with the representatives of NGOs involved in the project. The reforms are to be financially supported through the National Recovery Plan, from the state budget and other European money. The ‘Educated Romania’ project benefits from a ‘historic financial aid’ worth about 4 billion Euros, said the Romanian President.
Justice ▪ The leaders of the governing coalition in Bucharest met, on Wednesday, to discuss the parliamentary agenda for dismantling the controversial Special Section to investigate crimes committed by magistrates (SIIJ). The coalition functions very well on all topics, except for justice, the justice minister Stelian Ion said. He explained that the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union PLUS Alliance have the same opinion, namely that next week an extraordinary session should be called for dismantling the Special Section and reassigning competences, as the Venice Commission says and as the government project stipulates. According to Stelian Ion the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania is trying a different version, namely to somehow deceive the voters in the sense of pretending to dismantle the special section but recreating it in the form of a new section within the General Prosecutor’s Office.
Explosion — A powerful explosion followed by a fire occurred last night at the Azomureş Chemical Plant (in central Romania). A man in his 50s was injured. The company management said the incident occurred when an ammonia production unit was started. The Mureş Inspectorate for Emergency Situations sent a RO-Alert message informing the population in the neighboring area of the blast. The company representatives say the situation is being monitored by the authorities, the installation where the fire occurred being completely stopped. We recall that, on Friday, an explosion followed by a fire also occurred at the Petromidia Refinery in Navodari (southeastern Romania), when one man was killed and five injured. (LS)
