Tuesday, February 2nd

EBRD chief expected to meet Romanian PM Cioloş

While on a two-day visit to Romania, Suma Chakrabarti, the head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), is expected to meet Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş at the Victoria Palace in the capital Bucharest on Tuesday. While meeting Mr. Chakrabarti at the Presidential Palace of Cotroceni, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis called on the EBRD to help the country improve its investment abilities. EBRD expertise and consultancy should add to the funding as the bank remained an important player on the Romanian market, Mr. Iohannis said.  EBRD is one of the crucial investing institutions in Romania with investments of more than 7bl. euro and more than 14 bl. through other financing sources.

Former Romanian interior minister under debate in the Senate

Romanian senators in the Judiciary Committee are expected to debate on Tuesday the case of former Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea, leader of the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR), who came under fire of Romania’s anticorruption watchdog, the DNA. The country’s National Anti-Corruption Directrate presented the Parliament with a request allowing a criminal investigation against Mr. Oprea. The former minister is accused of illegaly using an official motorcade last October when Bogdan Cosmin Gigina, a policeman needlessly smoothing the way for Mr. Oprea, lost his life. Gabriel Oprea, who is also a Senator, recently denied any wrongdoing in an open letter while pointing out that he had no intention of taking adventage of his parliamentary immunity.

Town of Slobozia expected to lose Ron 500,000 ml. in EU funds

Romania’s southern town of Slobozia is expected to lose Ron 500,00 ml. in EU funds for failing to finalise a local project. Local authorities are currently looking for a loan after improvements to the town’s Civic Center were to be finalised last summer with EU non-reimbursable funds. The low rate of funds absorption registered by Romania at the end of 2015 and the lack of abilities both in providing and checking the financial aspects of the projects prove that the problem of forecasting the cash-flows of investments with non-reimbursable funds is still to be solved.

Baia Mare, host of the contest for Romania’s entry to Sweden’s Eurovision final

The Romanian north-western town of Baia Mare is expected to host the contest for Romania’s entry to the European Song Contest in Sweden, known as the Eurovision. The show is scheduled in the Sala Polivalenta of the town on March 4 and 6, 2016. Similar editions were formerly organised in the Romanian central town of Braşov two years ago, and southern town of Craiova in 2015. The final of the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country’s victory at the 2015 Contest in Vienna with the song „Heroes”, performed by Måns Zelmerlöw. Along with  Bucharest, Cluj and Timişoara, Baia Mare has been shortlisted in the competition for the title of European Capital of Culture 2021 in Romania.

Alexandru Danga