Jahrzehnte voller Begegnungen mit Menschen, Büchern und Ideen. Entsprechend besonders ist jetzt nach seiner Rückkehr der Blick auf Deutschland. Aber mindestens genauso spannend wie der äußere Lebensweg ist der innere, den Wackwitz hier nachgeht: 3/5
— Notes from Georgia/South Caucasus (Hälbig, Ralph) (@SouthCaucasus) January 7, 2024
Day: January 7, 2024
… vom pietistischen Klosterschüler in der schwäbischen Provinz zum verwirrten Jung-Marxisten der siebziger Jahre und von dort zum überzeugten Liberalen angelsächsischer Prägung und Kulturdiplomaten im Auftrag des Goethe-Instituts. 4/5
— Notes from Georgia/South Caucasus (Hälbig, Ralph) (@SouthCaucasus) January 7, 2024
»Geheimnis der Rückkehr« ist ein Erinnerungs- und Lebensbuch – und ein Buch über unsere Welt: Denn mehr als ein Vierteljahrhundert hat Stephan Wackwitz außerhalb von Deutschland verbracht, in London, Tokio, Krakau, Bratislava, New York, #Tbilisi und Minsk. 2/5
— Notes from Georgia/South Caucasus (Hälbig, Ralph) (@SouthCaucasus) January 7, 2024
LISBON — The new leader of Portugal’s ruling Socialist Party (PS) Pedro Nuno Santos pledged Sunday to increase the minimum wage and boost economic competitiveness through more incentives to select sectors, if he wins an election in March.
Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa, in office since 2015, resigned on Nov. 7 over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government’s handling of lithium, hydrogen and data center projects.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has called a snap election for March 10.
Most opinion polls put the PS neck and neck with the center-right Social Democratic Party, but many analysts fear a post-election quagmire and a potential strengthening of the role of the far-right, anti-establishment party Chega.
At a center-left party congress, Santos said that “only a more sophisticated, diversified economy will be able to produce with greater added value, pay better wages and generate revenue to finance an advanced social state.”
In June, Portugal was placed 39 out of 64 countries in the IMD-Institute for Management Development’s competitiveness world ranking, which put Denmark, Ireland and Switzerland as the three most competitive economies.
“We don’t want a country in the average of the European Union, but at the top. We will only be able to transform the economy with more selective incentives… with more money for fewer sectors… during a decade,” Santos said.
The key sectors will be identified by companies and universities, he said.
The Bank of Portugal last month lowered its 2024 economic growth forecast to 1.2% from 1.5% it had set in October, in a slowdown from last year’s 2.1% expansion.
Santos also promised to increase the minimum wage to at least 1,000 euros ($1,094.10) a month in 2028, compared to the current 820 euros ($897.57).
The 46-year-old former infrastructure minister replaced Costa as secretary-general of the PS after winning a party election in mid-December.
He praised Costa for balancing the public accounts over the past eight years, but acknowledged there was a shortage of doctors and teachers and a problem with access to housing.
LISBON — The new leader of Portugal’s ruling Socialist Party (PS) Pedro Nuno Santos pledged Sunday to increase the minimum wage and boost economic competitiveness through more incentives to select sectors, if he wins an election in March.
Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa, in office since 2015, resigned on Nov. 7 over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government’s handling of lithium, hydrogen and data center projects.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has called a snap election for March 10.
Most opinion polls put the PS neck and neck with the center-right Social Democratic Party, but many analysts fear a post-election quagmire and a potential strengthening of the role of the far-right, anti-establishment party Chega.
At a center-left party congress, Santos said that “only a more sophisticated, diversified economy will be able to produce with greater added value, pay better wages and generate revenue to finance an advanced social state.”
In June, Portugal was placed 39 out of 64 countries in the IMD-Institute for Management Development’s competitiveness world ranking, which put Denmark, Ireland and Switzerland as the three most competitive economies.
“We don’t want a country in the average of the European Union, but at the top. We will only be able to transform the economy with more selective incentives… with more money for fewer sectors… during a decade,” Santos said.
The key sectors will be identified by companies and universities, he said.
The Bank of Portugal last month lowered its 2024 economic growth forecast to 1.2% from 1.5% it had set in October, in a slowdown from last year’s 2.1% expansion.
Santos also promised to increase the minimum wage to at least 1,000 euros ($1,094.10) a month in 2028, compared to the current 820 euros ($897.57).
The 46-year-old former infrastructure minister replaced Costa as secretary-general of the PS after winning a party election in mid-December.
He praised Costa for balancing the public accounts over the past eight years, but acknowledged there was a shortage of doctors and teachers and a problem with access to housing.
Jerusalem — Israel’s cabinet is set to approve a 2024 wartime budget Thursday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Sunday, after ministers approved 9 billion shekels ($2.5 billion) in financial support for military reservists.
“The state of Israel puts the reservists and their families at the center, and this is the anchor of the budget for 2024 that we will deliver this weekend,” Smotrich said in a joint statement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Israel last year approved a two-year budget for 2023 and 2024, but the war against Hamas in Gaza has shaken government finances, requiring budget changes and additional spending.
In December parliament approved a special war budget for 2023 of nearly 30 billion shekels ($8.15 billion) to help fund the war and compensate those impacted by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks that sparked the war.
Smotrich’s spokesperson clarified that the budget vote would likely take place Thursday but offered no further details.
The Finance Ministry has said that the war will likely cost at least another 50 billion shekels ($13.5 billion) in 2024 and result in a near-tripling of its budget deficit to around 6% of GDP, in a projection that fighting will last through February.
The Bank of Israel is urging the government to rein in spending unrelated to the war to balance out the additional defense and home-front expenses, saying looser fiscal policy could slow the pace of interest rate reductions.
Categories
NPR News: 01-07-2024 3PM EST
Fuel shortage in Abkhazia
Following the Russian government’s decision at the end of December 2023 to grant the state company “Rosneft” exclusive rights for supplying petroleum products to Abkhazia, a fuel shortage has emerged in the republic’s market.
Now, it is impossible to import gasoline and diesel fuel into Abkhazia that were acquired under existing contracts with other suppliers. Abkhaz companies engaged in the fuel business are urged to directly enter into contracts with the company Rosneft or to purchase fuel from its subsidiary, “Rosneft-Abkhazia.”
Local entrepreneurs are discontent with the monopoly and are reluctant to comply with the new regulations.
The Fuel Association of Abkhazia, comprising approximately 40 local companies, has declared that it has no intention to follow the Rosneft’s rules as it would lead to the market’s monopolization.
- “Night of surrender of sovereignty of the Republic of Abkhazia”. Opinion on transfer of Pitsunda estate to Russia
- Russian investments to overcome the energy crisis in Abkhazia?
Currently, companies have depleted their stocks of gasoline and diesel fuel. Since the beginning of January 2024, the sale of fuel at Abkhazian gas stations has virtually come to a halt. Fuel stations are either completely closed or only providing gasoline to corporate clients.
The exceptions are only the company “Podorozhnik,” which has sufficient reserves until the end of January, and the same applies to “Rosneft-Abkhazia.”
The ministry of economy in Abkhazia insists that the decision of the Russian government came as a surprise even to them. Economy Mminister Kristina Ozgan stated that she is in consultations with Russian authorities, but specific details are unlikely to be expected until the conclusion of the holiday weekend.
Toponyms and terminology used by the author, as well as views, opinions and strategies expressed by them are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of JAMnews or any employees thereof. JAMnews reserves the right to delete comments it considers to be offensive, inflammatory, threatening or otherwise unacceptable