
The proposed social and economic measures mean a greater role for the state in the solution of the crisis in a moment when president Klaus Iohannis calls on the private sector to give ideas and solutions
Vladimir Mitev
This article was published on 31 March on the Bulgarian section of the site ”The Barricade” and is republished with small improvements.
Romania crossed the threshold of 2,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and entered level 4 crisis, which means that whole cities and regions can be quarantined. The measure was already introduced in Suceava, where more than half of patients in the regional hospital have COVID-19. The government and the military have strengthened their control with a new decree, which requires that disinfectants be put in each entrance of a block so that they can be used when entering buildings. Going out at night has been forbidden between the hours of 22 and 6 for a week. Starting on the 25th of March, going out is forbidden with a few exceptions – for shopping, for doctor visits and other visits of this kind.
In this moment, when Romanians’ fears grow in parallel with the number of infected, a group of left-wing professionals have come out with an open letter to the president, the government, and parliament, in which they demand that large-scale social and economic measures be taken against the pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis. Romania has responded, for the time being, with bolder social-economic measures than Bulgaria – e.g. the state has promised to provide 75% of salaries in the private sector, there is a ceiling on the prices of utilities and fuels, and an emergency decree was introduced which allows for the postponing of the credits’ payment. However, the Romanian economy is strongly connected with demand in the EU and in the present conditions there are more than 500,000 suspended labour contracts. It is expected that until the middle of April the suspended labour contracts will amount to 1,000,000 euros…
Continue reading “Romanian professionals come out with a large-scale plan against the crisis”