Romanian political review, Jan 14 - 22, 2013: Draft budget, UK immigration row, housing allowance for politicians halved

The debate in the UK rumbled on over feared levels of Romanian and Bulgarian immigration following the extirpation of transitional controls at the beginning of next year. Romania's ambassador to the UK Ion Jinga and the country's Foreign Minister joined the discussion and questioned the veracity of many comments on the subject. The big parliamentary event of the last week was the draft budget, which included large increases in health spending, a rise in pensions and more funding for the EU Funds Ministry. Lists of government officials and politicians in state-owned were made public and the amounts paid by the various tenants raised some questions in media about exactly how the rent was determined. MPs also had their housing allowance cut almost in half to RON 4,000 a month, about EUR 900. On the European front, Romania's new EU Funds Minister Eugen Teodorovici met European Commissioner Johannes Hahn in Brussels for the first time (in picture). After the meeting, Hahn said he was confident Romania could do a better job of absorbing EU funds in 2013 and promised the Commission's full support. Romania's Foreign Minister hits back at immigration scare stories in the UK Romania revises budget, Labor and Finance get the biggest slices, Health budget almost doubles Former ministers, singers, actors, living in state-owned houses in Romania, some at lower that market rents Romanian MPs get a taste of austerity, as housing budget almost halves EC Commissioner: Romania must absorb EU funds in 2013, Europe is at Romania's side editor@romania-insider.com