Alina Gorghiu Elected Liberal Party President
Alina Gorghiu was elected president of the Liberal Party and will be the party’s co-president alongside Vasile Blaga.
Gorghiu got 48 votes while the other candidate, Ludovic Orban, got 27 votes.
President-elect Klaus Iohannis, the former party president, resigned this position and his party membership. (Adevarul)
President Basescu Attends His Last European Council
President Traian Basescu said Thursday, before leaving for Brussels, he will be attending his last European Council as head of state.
“I’m attending my last European Council. It is exactly ten years since I first attended a meeting of this major EU structure. It has been an honor o represent Romania and I assure you I have represented the country’s interests as much as possible,” said Basescu.
He added he will support increased sanctions targeting Russia, as the situation in eastern Ukraine has not improved. (Evenimentul Zilei)
First Home 2014: 25,000 State Guarantees On Mortgage Loans Of EUR900M
Romanians benefited this year of around 25,000 state guarantees on mortgage loans under the First Home program and received total loans of EUR900 million.
In September-November, the number of guarantees increased 52% on the year, to 7,567 homes, while loans incinerated 59%, to EUR278 million.
Since the start of the program in 2009, the state guarantee fund signed 130,000 guarantee contracts on loans amounting to nearly EUR5 billion, the institution said in a press release Thursday.
Bucharest had the largest number of applicants for the First Home program, with 35,000 applications, accounting for 27.3% of the total, followed by Ilfov county with 11,500 applications (8.8%), Cluj with 9,100 applications (7%), Timis with 7,600 applications (6%), Iasi and Constanta (around 5% each).
One third of state guarantees were lower or equal to EUR30,000, one quarter ranged between EUR30,000 and EUR40,000, another quarter ranged were higher than EUR50,000, and 19% were between EUR40,000 and EUR50,000. (Jurnalul National)
Bucharest Ranks 30th Among European Cities For Retail Expansion
Bucharest ranks 30th among the most attractive 57 cities in Europe in terms of the interest of international retailers for expansion, after Budapest and Warsaw, and 25th as regards luxury brands, according to a JLL study.
“The Destination Europe 2015 study places Bucharest on the 30th place among the most attractive cities in terms of the interest of international retailers for expansion outside their home country. It is considered a city with high growth potential and is ahead of cities in the region such as Bratislava, Zagreb, Belgrade and Ankara and at very short distance behind Budapest,” Carmen Ravon, Head of Retail Agency at JLL in Romania said.
As regards luxury brands, Romania ranks at number 25 in terms of their interest to have stores in Romania. (Puterea)
Government Seeks To Sell Geoana’s RA-APPS Residence
The Romanian government is looking to sell the state residence occupied until recently by Mircea Geoana.
The villa has been included on the list of RA-APPS properties to be put up for sale early next year through open auction.
The 271 sqm residence has a starting price of EUR588,000 plus VAT. (Romania Libera)