Ponta: New Spy Chief Should Be Appointed By Future President
President Traian Basescu has no legitimacy to make any propositions and the new chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service should be proposed to Parliament by the country’s future president, said Prime Minster Victor Ponta.
“For now, the first deputy chief of the service has all the competence needed to be in charge for the next two months or so,” said Ponta.
Silviu Predoiu, deputy chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service, will be running the institution as interim after service chief Teodor Melescanu resigned to run in the presidential election in November. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Dragnea: UDMR’s Autonomy Project Will Never Be Achieved In Romania
Deputy prime minister Liviu Dragnea said Monday the Hungarian minority party UDMR’s project seeking autonomy for the Szeckler County is no joking matter and such a move would never be achieved in Romania.
Dragnea said territorial autonomy for the Hungarian minority in Romania is out of the question and UDMR should not even think about it.
He added UDMR members in the Cabinet should think it is at least weird to be sworn in on the Constitution and then start this project which breaches it. (Puterea)
Romania Risks New Economic Crisis, President Warns
Romanian President Traian Basescu warned Tuesday the country risks sliding back into an economic crisis due to its lack of tax predictability, which has “confused the business environment”.
He said the taxes introduced this year have baffled the business environment and the tax barrier forces investors to step back. He said a 13.8% drop in foreign direct investments in January-August attests to that fact.
“Also, the government, in its policy to stimulate consumption, spent 30% less on investments and redirected that money to welfare. If we keep that up, Romania risks sliding back into an economic crisis,” Basescu said at the Forbes CEE Forum. (Evenimentul Zilei)
ASF Chief Says Romanians Should Contribute To Private Pensions
Misu Negritoiu, head of Romania’s financial regulator ASF, said Tuesday it is good for Romanians to contribute to private pension funds, whether or not they expect to eventually live off that money, saying saving up for old age is a cultural and financial education model worth following.
“The private pension system is an instrument that we have gained, that we have and it is good to promote it and it should have a cultural effect. Nearly all the markets we (ASF) regulate have to do with a cultural model, with financial education, with what we must do for ourselves, including saving up for old age. I don’t know whether we’ll be able to live off those pensions or not but it’s good to have savings,” Negritoiu said at the Forbes CEE Forum.
Asked whether Romania should follow the Polish model and nationalize private pensions, he said he believes the system should remain as it is because Romania cannot afford the same expenses as Poland, which has a more developed economy. (Curierul National)
Searches In Botosani And Suceava In EU Fund Fraud Case
Anticorruption prosecutors conducted 16 searches Tuesday in counties Botosani and Suceava in a case involving EU funding fraud.
Prosecutors searched the agriculture paying agency (APIA) in Botosani county and a local mayor’s office, as well as the headquarters of several firms.
The mayor of Saveni, Petru Relu Tirzioru (of the Liberal Party) and the head of the APIA branch in Saveni, Liviu Stelian Zaharia, were detained Tuesday evening.
Investigations in the fraud case continue with hearings of other suspects. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Simona Halep Ousted In Wuhan Second Round
Romanian Tennis player Simona Halep, no. 2 WTA and second seeded, was defeated Tuesday 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 by Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, no. 22 WTA, in the second round of the Premier 5 tournament in Wuhan, China.
This was Halep’s first match after her elimination on the US Open third round at the end of August. The Romanian tennis player was defeated after one hour and 56 minutes of play. Halep and Muguruza had not played each other before on the WTA circuit.
Halep could lose her no. 2 ranking to Maria Sharapova, currently ranked at no. 4, if the Russian player makes it to the Wuhan final. (Adevarul)