Romania Celebrates 25 Years Since Fall Of Communism In Eastern Europe

The international conference “25 years since the fall of communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe: looking back, looking ahead,” was organized Thursday at the Senate by the Romanian Foundation for Democracy.

The event marks 25 years since the end of communist domination in Europe.

Romania is the only ex-communist country that does not have a museum dedicated to this subject. Romania’s President-elect Klaus Iohannis has pledged for build one following a visit to Sighetu Marmatiei where it is the Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance, founded by Ana Blandiana and Romulus Rusan. (Puterea)

Romania Climbs 82 Spots To 52th In World’s Paying Taxes 2015 Report 

Romania jumped to the 52nd position in the Paying Taxes 2015 report carried out by PwC and the World Bank, which measures the ease of paying taxes in 189 economies worldwide for an average sized company. 

Romania ranked 134th in last year’s edition of the report.

“Romania is one of the highlights of this year’s edition of the Paying Taxes report, as result of the steps taken by the tax authorities between 2010-2013, which facilitated electronic filling and payments,” said Mihaela Mitroi, Tax and Legal Services Leader with PwC Romania.

Romania’s ranking is currently one of the best in Central and Eastern Europe, surpassing Poland (87), Hungary (88), Bulgaria (89), Slovakia (100) and the Czech Republic (119). Romania is still outranked by the Baltics (Latvia – 24, Estonia – 28, Lithuania – 44), Croatia (36) and Slovenia (42). (Curierul National)

European Commission Grants EUR260M For Highway Construction In Romania

The European Commission will grant EUR260 million extra funds for highway construction in Romania via the Cohesion Fund, reaching a total EUR439 million.

Thus, the Commission will cover the construction costs for two highway segments initially financed by the Romanian state via banking loans, EC said in a statement.

The funds target Arad-Timisoara highway and Constanta ringroad, which were opened to traffic in 2011, and 2012 respectively, and which were constructed with funds from the state budget, European Commission, European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The Commission approved Romania’s request to finance, via the Cohesion Fund, the part of the investment initially covered by loans. Thus, the EC contribution to the construction of the two highway segments totals EUR439 million, out of which EUR287 million for Arad-Timisoara and EUR151.5 million for Constanta ringroad. (Adevarul)

Romanian Prosecutors Start Investigation Following Expat Vote Fiasco

Romania’s Prosecutor General Tiberiu Nitu on Thursday said that a case was opened after the first round of presidential election regarding the incidents related to the expatriate vote, considering that thousands of expats were unable to cast their votes in the first and second-round vote.

Prosecutors started an investigation in rem (of the facts) targeting the violation of the right to vote, following the incidents in diaspora.

Nitu said the case is investigated by the General Prosecutor’s Office.

Under the Criminal Code, preventing people from exercising the right to vote, by any means, is generally punishable by up to three years in prison. (Evenimentul Zilei)

Iliescu: Romania May Hold Early Parliamentary Elections Considering The Current Political Climate

The honorific president of Romania’ leftist Social Democratic Party, Ion Iliescu, said Romania’s parliamentary elections due in 2016 might as well be held earlier in 2015, arguing that anything is possible in the current political climate.

Iliescu pointed out that an immediate change of the ruling coalition is not good, not even for “those who ought to take over.”

Iliescu added that the political party behind Romania’s President-elect Klaus Iohannis is not ready to take over because it lacks a parliamentary majority.

Johannis, an ethnic German and a Lutheran, defeated social democrat Prime Minister Victor Ponta in a run-off election on Sunday, November 16. (Jurnalul National)

Subiecte #press review