Prime Minister Says Will Not Agree To Adopt UDMR Bill On Autonomy
Prime Minister Victor Ponta said he has not discussed with leaders of the Hungarian minority party UDMR about their bill regarding autonomy, adding he will not agree to have such a bill adopted by Parliament.
UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor said last week his party’s parliamentary groups had received the autonomy bill, modeled after the South Tyrol independence act. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Romanian Popular Movement Party Accepted In EPP Group
Romania’s Popular Movement Party (PMP) has been accepted into the European People’s Party group in the European Parliament.
PMP will be officially accepted into the EPP at the EU party’s political assembly on September 11-12. The assembly will be attended by PMP leader Elena Udrea and Romanian President Traian Basescu. (Adevarul)
High Defense Council Decides On NATO Fighter Jet Presence And Ukraine Support
Romania’s High Defense Council made two decisions at its meeting Wednesday, President Traian Basescu said.
Basescu said one is related to the presence of NATO fighter jets in Romanian airspace and another to Romania’s possible participation as a coordinator in NATO’s support fund for Ukraine, in the cybernetic sector. (Gandul)
Romania 2Q GDP Contraction Driven By Weak Performance In Construction, Retail
Romania’s economy contracted for the second consecutive quarter in the April-June period, driven by poor performance in constructions, industry and an unexpected fall in retail trade, official data showed Wednesday.
The statistics institute INS confirmed an earlier estimate showing a 1% decline in seasonally-adjusted gross domestic product in the second quarter, after a 0.2% contraction in the previous three months. This puts the economy in technical recession. (Puterea)
Romania Hourly Labor Costs Up 3.7% In 2Q From 1Q
Adjusted hourly labor costs rose 3.7% in the second quarter compared to the first and 4.99% compared to the second quarter last year, the statistics office INS announced Wednesday.
Adjusted hourly labor costs grew across most economic sectors quarter to quarter. The highest increases were in the extracting industry (+15.77%), production and distribution of electricity, heat, water and air conditioning (+13.42%) and financial brokerage and insurance (+10.36%). (Curierul National)
Romania Retail Sales Rise At 3rd Fastest Pace In EU In July
Romanian retail sales rose 6.3% in July compared to July 2013, the third highest increase in the European Union, after Luxemburg and Estonia, official data showed Wednesday.
Retail sales in the EU rose 1% in July but declined 0.4% compared to June, the EU’s statistical office Eurostat said. (Romania Libera)
Romanians Are More Careful About Healthcare, Survey Shows
Romanians are increasingly careful when it comes to their health and 76% of them have seen a doctor at least once this year, compared to 67% last year, according to a survey by market research company GfK.
“The change in behavior regarding healthcare is apparent in the significant drop in the number of people who don’t generally go to the doctor. Their numbers dropped from 35% in 2011 to 9% in 2014,” the survey, ordered by private healthcare provider MedLife, noted. (Curierul National)