Romania’s turnover index in industry slightly up
Romania’s turnover in indutry increased slightly by almost 1 percent last year as compared to figures a year before, according to data issued by the country’s National Institute of Statistics (INS) on Thursday. Growth is due to figures in Romania’s manufacturing industry as extractive industry went down by 14.3 percent. Compared to November last year, figures in December show a decrease by more than 15 percent due to poor results in processing and extractive industries. However, figures in 2023 point to a growth of 0.7 percent when compared to similar figures in 2022 (on both domestic and international markets).
Talks on elections expected to resume
Talks within Romania’s governing coaalition on a possible merging of elections this year are expected to resume on Friday after similar talks on Wednesday failed to get a result as political parties involved faced specific problems as Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, also leader of the governing center-left Social Democrat Party, told reporters on Wednesday. The country’s Permanent Electoral Authority is currently making a technical assesment, Mr. Ciolacu said. Nicolae Ciucă, a former Prime Minister, currently a Senate speaker who is also president of the governing center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), also confirmed the lack of an agreement while pointing out that any further delay beyond Friday wouldn’t make any sense.
Disputes between Romanian and Bulgarian transporters
Transporters in Romania call on their government to persuade the Bulgarian customs authorities to give up their control seen as abusive by Romanian counterparts. Romanian trucks wait for days at the border with the neighbouring country. Romania’s National Union of Road Transporters calls for an emergency intervention of the Prime Minister, Transport and Foreign Ministers and its country’s ambassador to Sofia in order to solve the crisis. Bulgaria and Romania have received permission to join Europe’s passport- and visa-free Schengen Area starting in March. Austria previously blocked Bulgaria’s and Romania’s entry into the Schengen Area over concerns about illegal immigration but reached an agreement in principle with the two fellow EU members.
Alexandru Danga, RADOR RADIO ROMÂNIA
