Constitutional Court Rejects Immunity Legislation
Romania’s Constitutional Court has rejected a bill amending the Criminal Code which would have granted increased immunity to lawmakers facing corruption charges.
The changes to the Criminal Code adopted by Parliament on December 10, 2013 were ruled unconstitutional Wednesday.
The bill granting “super-immunity” to lawmakers and elect government officials met with ample criticism from the U.S. and European Union countries. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Romanian President Criticizes EU Lack Of Reaction On Moldova
Romania cannot remain politically impassible if Transnistria or Gagauzia are the root of provocations standing in the way of Republic of Moldova’s EU path, Romanian President Traian Basescu said Wednesday at a meeting with ambassadors.
Basescu told diplomats Romania remains a firm supporter of a European future for Moldova and criticized the Eu’s lack of reaction.
“We all claim to support the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova and its territorial integrity, but too few of us have the courage to speak about the inefficiency of the ‘5 + 2’ format in settling the Transnistrian issue and about the encouragement received by the Gagauz in southern Moldova to become autonomous from Chisinau. I have not seen stances, not even on the part of the OSCE, concerning the treatment applied to the Romanian schools in Transnistria,” said Basescu. (Puterea)
IMF Team To Visit Romania On January 21-February 3
A delegation of the International Monetary Fund will visit Romania between January 21 and February 3 to complete the first review of a EUR2 billion precautionary agreement signed last year and to conduct a second assessment of the country’s progress under the deal, government sources told Mediafax.
The IMF’s board was supposed to discuss the first review of the program in December last year, but the meeting was delayed after Romanian President Traian Basescu refused to sign the country’s memorandum with the IMF. Basescu opposed the new tax on fuels promised by the government under the program.
Romania and the IMF in September signed a new EUR1.98 billion two-year precautionary loan program, the third financial package the eastern European country has received in the last four years. (Jurnalul National)
World Bank Sees Romania GDP Growth At 2.5% In 2014
The World Bank estimates the Romanian economy will grow by 2.5% in 2014, after a similar increase last year, according to the institution’s latest Global Economic Prospects report, released Wednesday.
For 2015, the bank forecasts a slightly higher economic growth, at 2.7%, which is, however, lower than in the past edition of the report.
On the other hand, the bank upped its figures for 2013 and 2014, which are currently higher than the official estimates of the Romanian government and the International Monetary Fund, of some 2.2% for both years. (Adevarul)
Constanta County Council Head Nicusor Constantinescu Arrested For Corruption
Nicusor Constantinescu, head of the Constanta county council, was detained by anticorruption prosecutors Wednesday on charges of abuse of office and misappropriation of public money.
Constantinescu resisted arrest and said the case was politically orchestrated. (Adevarul)