The Speaker of Romanian Senate Teodor Melescanu resigned on Monday, two weeks after the Constitutional Court decided his naming in the position was against the rules. The news comes as the Social Democrats - who held government until last fall and who had supported Melescanu - also lost their majority in the Senate.
- UPDATE: PSD regained its majority shortly as an MP announced his joining the party
Romania's governing National Liberal Party (PNL) would receive the vote of 47.4% of Romanians, should general elections take place next Sunday, according to a new poll. THe study, ordered by pollster IMAS for Europa FM radio channel, shows a boost of up to 2 percentage points from the month of December.
A censure motion tabled by the opposition Social Democrats (PSD) against the Liberal (PNL) government of Ludovic Orban is to be read in Parliament on Monday, with a vote due to take place later. The motion is key to how the government would evolve in an election year, considering growing pressure in favor of early general elections.
- UPDATE The procedure went on and the censure was read before the Parliament on Monday afternoon. See what changed
The Liberal government led by Ludovic Orban is to take responsibility before the Parliament on Wednesday for key changes to how local elections are organised. Once the procedure is over, the opposition Social Democrats have three days available to submit a censure motion, as they have announced.
de Editorial Staff HotNews.ro
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday that PM Ludovic Orban - head of the Liberal party that supported him in the recent presidential elections - would keep office for a long while, even in the case of early elections.
With many months still to go until local elections take place in Romania, struggles have emerged within a key opposition alliance as preparations start for the Bucharest polls. The announcement of a maverick candidate for Bucharest mayor this weekend promises to reveal the capacity - or incapacity - of the opposition USR-PLUS alliance to really produce change.
- UPDATE The USR-PLUS alliance announced later on Monday that it would have common candidates for all city halls across the country. It said a timetable for candidate selection would be decided within weeks. For Bucharest, it said it would pick one between Vlad Voiculescu (PLUS) and Nicusor Dan (independent candidate supported by USR Bucharest).
New, Liberal Romanian PM Ludovic Orban claimed on Thursday he was a "simple man" with an "austere" living to explain how he managed to live on little more than 3,000 lei (some 650 euro ) per month last year, while his wife did not state any income at all. He made the statement after the figures appeared in the wealth statement he has submitted.
The leadership of Romania's biggest party, the Social Democrats (PSD), was dissolved late on Tuesday and an interim leader is taking over, sources told HotNews.ro as PSD bosses met in a special session. The news was later confirmed officially.
Camps are shaping up in a battle for power within Romania's biggest political party, the Social Democrats (PSD), in wake of the defeat suffered by their candidate, party president and ex-PM, in presidential elections on Sunday. In statements made on Monday morning, an influential member of the PSD leadership openly invoked the need of a resignation.
The custom of the biggest political party in post-Communist Romania, the Social Democrats -PSD, long seen as inheritors of the former Communists - is to remove their leader following a defeat in presidential elections. On Sunday night, as PSD's candidate Viorica Dancila suffered a significant defeat against incumbent, Liberal president Klaus Iohannis in presidential elections, knives were sharpening again within the party.
Dan Barna, the leader of Save Romania Union (USR), the third biggest party in the Parliament, was re-elected as head of the political group despite a serious defeat in the first round of presidential elections.
Preparations were ongoing on Monday for what appears to be the most important electoral event prior to presidential elections due to take place this weekend: a debate that incumbent President and top contender Klaus Iohannis will hold on Tuesday with political experts and journalists, but in the absence of his challenger, Social Democratic leader Viorica Dancila.
A refusal by President Klaus Iohannis to face his challenger in the second round of Romania's presidential elections has caused widespread discussion about his (non)democratic behaviour. But in a meeting with the press on Wednesday, he made the debate even more complicated by explaining he refused to discuss with and thus legitimise someone who represents an un democratic party.
Romania's former Justice minister Ana Birchall, who served in the last Social Democratic (PSD) government, was ousted from the PSD in a party leadership session on Tuesday night. The session was marked by scandal but key members appeared later to have regrouped behind PSD leader Viorica Dancila, who is due to face incumbent President Klaus Iohannis in the final round of presidential elections later this month.
Incumbent president Klaus Iohannis has been facing increasing pressure over his refusal to meet challenger Viorica Dancila in a debate prior to the second round of presidential elections. Iohannis, who rejected all offers to confront other candidates prior to the second round, said he saw no point in a debate versus Dancila this time around either.
- UPDATE Later on Tuesday, President Iohannis resisted pressure by writing in a Facebook post that there could be no debate with the candidate of a party which "has governed against the Romanian people for 3 years". He said he was ready for dialogue with citizens, journalists and the civil society.
The major political camps started preparations for the final round of presidential elections after results in the Sunday first round showed a clear victory for incumbent Klaus Iohannis, who would face ex-PM, Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Viorica Dancila. Third placed candidate Dan Barna has publicly announced his support for Iohannis.
The newly appointed Liberal government of PM Ludovic Orban has approved a major re-organisation of its central apparatus. Several ministries are dismantled as their activities are absorbed by other ministries, while the General Secretariat of the Government becomes a super-structure and is due to take over control over key state companies.
The members of the new Liberal government were taking over their jobs on Tuesday, a day after the team of ministers led by PM Ludovic Orban were sworn in on Monday.
The governmental team put up by Liberal (PNL) leader Ludovic Orban in the wake of the dismissal of Social Democratic (PSD) government of Viorica Dancila faces the vote of parliament approval on Monday. The PNL government needs 233 votes and a minimum number of MPs to be present for the vote, which can prove difficult. But Orban is optimistic and claims his team would get between 237-243 votes.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is a clear favorite in the upcoming presidential elections where he seeks a new term in office, a poll says. The poll, delivered by IMAS institute and quoted by Europa FM channel, places outsider Mircea Diaconu second in voter preferences.