Press Review - June 8, 2015

06.08.2015 By Gabriela Stan

PNL Co-Chairs Alina Gorghiu And Vasile Blaga Call On PM Victor Ponta To Resign

Co-chairs of the National Liberal party (PNL), Alina Gorghiu and Vasile Blaga, called on the Prime Minister Victor Ponta to resign, adding that the liberals will boycott all the talks involving PSD president, after Ponta announced he refuses to resign.

PNL co-chair Alina Gorghiu announced that the liberals’ political decision is to hinder any political act involving PM Victor Ponta, except for the censure motion submitted by the liberals and the vote in the Chamber of Deputies on the DNA request to start the criminal prosecution against the PSD president.

Liberals To Form Human Chain Around Parliament At Talks On Censure Motion

The representatives of the National Liberal Party (PNL) said they will form a human chain around the Parliament in the day the censure motion is debated, inviting Bucharest citizens to participate in the action, PNL co-chair Vasile Blaga stated on Sunday.

"In the day of the censure motion debates, we will form a human chain around the Parliament and we will invite Bucharest citizens to join us," Blaga told a news conference.

In her turn, Alina Gorghiu said that PNL will have talks again with the representatives of parliamentary parties on Monday or Tuesday.  (Romania Libera)

Romania’s GDP Up 4.3% In 1Q, Supported By Industry, Retail, Telecom Sectors

Romania’s gross domestic product went up 4.3% in the first quarter compared with the same period of 2014, to 139.27 billion lei (EUR31.3 billion). In seasonally-adjusted terms, the first-quarter GDP growth was 4.2%, data from the country’s statistics institute INS showed.

The strong activity in retail, industry and the communication sectors had the major contributions to Romania’s above-expectations economic growth in the first quarter of the year. Against the previous quarter, the GDP rose 1.6%, after a 1% growth in the fourth quarter of 2014.

The retail, transport and logistics, and tourism activities had a positive contribution of one percentage point to the annual growth in GDP, according to the statistics data. The sector accounts for some 18% in the GDP formation, and the activity volume was 5.9% higher against the first quarter of 2014. (Adevarul)

EC Allots EUR83M For Expansion Of Subway Line 4

The European Commission approved funds worth EUR83 million from the Cohesion Fund for the expansion of Romanian subway line 4 (Parc Bazilescu – Straulesti) in the capital city, Bucharest, which connects Bucurestii Noi and Chitila districts to the subway network.

The project targets the extension of the subway line by 1.89 km and by two new metro stations. The total value of the project is EUR97.7 million. The new subway line will be managed by Bucharest subway transport operator Metrorex. (Puterea)

Over 900 Drugs No Longer On Reimbursed Medicines List

Over 900 medicines were removed from the list of reimbursed medicines, as pharmaceutical producers preferred to no longer submit their files for establishing the price of these products.

Nevertheless, Health Ministry representatives gave assurance that all these medicines have other therapeutic alternatives.

“There are around 900 products whose files for establishing the price were not submitted, both generic drugs (cheap, e.n.) and innovative medicines (expensive) but they all have therapeutic alternatives, thus we are not affected by the decisions made by these companies,” Mihaela Udrea, head of Pharmaceutical Department with Health Ministry, stated.  (Adevarul)