Electoral Code Committee Decides County Council Presidents Won’t Be Elected By Direct Vote
The Electoral Code Committee, led by Valeriu Zgonea, has decided county council presidents will no longer be elected by direct vote starting the 2016 elections.
The committee decided county council presidents will be elected by indirect vote, by county councilors, the same as before 2004.
The decision was voted unanimously. It is a surprising decision since social democrats have said repeatedly they want to keep the direct vote system, in a single round of elections, and the committee is led by a social democrat and the party has majority. (Adevarul)
UDMR To Discuss Senate Majority
The new majority the Liberal Party wants to form in the Senate to dismiss Calin Popescu Tariceanu from the position of chairman will be debated within UDMR if liberals submit their petition to remove Tariceanu.
Hungarian senators’ leader Marko Bela said Tuesday after a group meeting such a decision will be made by party leaders. He added he does not know yet about the liberals’ petition, which they said would be submitted Wednesday. (Puterea)
Capital Economics Sees Romania’s Economic Growth Potential At 4%
Romania’s economy is expected to grow 3% this year and 3.3% in 2016, driven by strengthening domestic demand, but below the long-term growth potential of 4% estimated by the analysts of British consulting firm Capital Economics.
“We expect Romania’s economy to register solid growth of 3.0-3.5% in 2015 and 2016 as continued weakness in key euro-zone export markets is offset by a strengthening of domestic demand,” Capital Economics said in a report Tuesday.
Romania has a long-term economic growth potential of 4% annually, the same as Bulgaria, Poland and Turkey, according to the report.(Adevarul)
New Car Registrations In Romania Down 2.7% In January
New car registrations in Romania fell 2.7% to 4,978 units in January, from 5,118 units in the same month in 2013, while the sales volumes of Romanian Dacia rose 7.3% to 30,280 units, above the EU auto market which grew 6.7%.
In the EU, new car sales grew to 999,157 units, for the 17th consecutive month, as large European markets registered growth, according to data released Tuesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
Thus, new car registrations rose 27.5% in Spain, to 68,117 units, Italy – 10.9%, to 131,385 units, UK – 6.7%, to 164,856 units, France – 6.2%, to 133,170 units. The highest growth rates in the EU were registered in Ireland, with 30.6%, and Portugal, with 28%. (Puterea)
Education Ministry Says Parents Have 16 Days To Opt For Religion Class
The Education Ministry has called on school inspectorates to inform parents they must submit requests until march 6 if they want their children to have religion class in school.
The Church wants a longer time frame and school inspectorates say the Constitutional Court’s decision regrading religion classes cannot be applied this school year.
A Constitutional Court ruling sets that students should opt in for religion class in school, not opt out of it, as before. (Evenimentul Zilei)