Politics
Romania’s new Cabinet will stand by commitments to IMF and EC, says new PM
Romania’s new Government will continue former Cabinet’s commitments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Commission (EC), the Romanian Prime Minister, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu, told officials from the two financial institutions today (February 22). The Prime Minister also introduced the new Finance (Bogdan Dragoi), Economy (Lucian Bode), Transport (Alexandru Nazare) and Justice (Catalin [...]
Romanian Government plans to liberalize notary tariffs
The Romanian Government recently adopted a memorandum for a pilot project that aims to liberalize tariffs on public notaries, and to foster stronger competition between notary offices, according to the Minister of Justice, Catalin Predoiu (in picture). Up until March 6 the Ministry of Justice will identify the notarial papers and proceedings subject to the [...]
Reuters suggests new Romanian PM is following the “Putin Plan”
A recent Reuters article by Romanian writer Radu Marinas compares President Basescu’s backing of new PM Ungureanu with former Russian President Boris Yeltsin backing Vladimir Putin and tips Ungureanu as a likely presidential candidate. Calling the move the “Putin Plan,” Marinas points out the similarities. “The president of a former communist country in economic turmoil [...]
New Romanian PM asks IMF mission chief back to Bucharest soon after previous visit
Romanian Prime Minister Mihai-Răzvan Ungureanu ( in picture) invited the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to Romania, Jeffrey Franks, and Istvan Székely, the director for Romania with the European Commission, to a meeting in Bucharest between February 21 and 22, to talk about ‘current economic issues’. The invitation comes soon after Franks [...]
Opposition coalition in Romania submits complaint against new Government investiture
The opposition coalition in Romania the Social Liberal Union (USL) has submitted a complaint to the country’s Constitutional Court saying the investiture of the new Government was unconstitutional, as it did not respect the parliamentary procedure. According to USL, the vote in the parliament went ahead without the approval from the special parliamentary commissions on [...]
Romania’s governing coalition signs for the ratification of the EU fiscal governance treaty
The governing coalition parties in Romania has recently signed a protocol to support accession to the EU Fiscal Governance Agreement. The protocol was signed by Emil Boc, the president of the Democrat Liberal Party (PDL) and Romania’s former Prime Minister, the president of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) – Kelemen Hunor, Varujan [...]
Romanian PM asks for standard 08:00-to-16:00 schedule across state institutions
Romania’s newly installed Prime Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu (in picture) standardized the work schedule in all state institutions in the country to 8:00 -16:00 every week day, including Fridays. The official announcement sent to all ministries and state institutions took commentators by surprise, as many believed this to already be the schedule in state institutions. [...]
Romania, 12 other NATO countries to buy EUR 3 bln no-pilot planes and surveillance system
Romania and 12 other states members of the North Atlantic Organization Treaty will buy no-pilot airplanes to supervise Europe, part of a European supervision plan that should kick off in 2017, according to NATO. The Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system will give commanders a comprehensive picture of the situation on the ground and will become [...]
Romanian justice on a roll: After former PM, former Agriculture Minister jailed for corruption
Romania’s justice courts have had a busy start to the year. After sentencing former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase to prison, the court issued a three-year prison sentence to former Agriculture Minister Decebal Traian Remes, for corruption. Remes was indicted in 2008 by the Anti-Corruption prosecutors, who accused the former minister of taking a bribe from [...]
President Traian Basescu spends week-end in mountain resort while snow-bound regions are in dire situation
Romanian President Traian Basescu spent his week-end in the mountain resort Predeal, in Brasov County, at the end of a week of great political turmoil, when the country’s government was reshuffled. Political analysts commented the issue saying the president’s mountain escape was inappropriate at this time when villages are under heavy snow and people are trying to stay alive. The [...]
Romanian Elena Udrea turns Tourism Ministry handover into a final curtain call
Former Development and Tourism Minister Elena Udrea, who received plenty of attention from both local and international press during her three-year mandate, said she signed EU-funded contracts worth EUR 5 billion, when handing over the helm of the ministry to her successor, Cristian Petrescu. Udrea, who is also the vice-president of the governing party the [...]
Opposition leader Victor Ponta’s pro PM speech brings discontent in the opposition coalition
A speech delivered by Social Democrat Party leader Victor Ponta ( in picture) prior to the Parliament vote on the new Government yesterday (February 9 ) triggered reactions from all parties. Victor Ponta’s conciliatory speech in the Parliament triggered discontent among members of the National Liberal Party, a partner in the opposition union [...]
Half empty Parliament adopts new Government in Romania with opposition absent
Romania’s somewhat deserted Parliament approved the new Government in its vote on Thursday ( February 9 ), when the MPs of the opposition parties were absent. 237 of the 239 MPs present voted for and only two against the new Government. Several opposition party members were however present in the Parliament at the time of [...]
Opposition boycotts new Government hearings and planned Parliament vote
Romania’s opposition parties the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) will not take part in the Parliament vote for the new Government on Thursday ( February 9 ). The opposition parties were not present during the Commission hearings of the proposed ministers on Wednesday (February 8 ). Romanian media deemed the [...]
Romania’s governing party brings young blood into Government
The Democratic Liberal party (PDL) announced a list of proposed ministers on behalf of its party on Wednesday morning ( February 8 ). The announcement was made by the previous Prime Minister Emil Boc, who resigned on Monday morning, but who remained head of the PDL, and who was in charge of proposing the new [...]
Romania’s nominated PM Razvan Ungureanu in consultations for new cabinet
The newly nominated Prime Minister Razvan Ungureanu (in picture) is currently in consultations with the Governing coalition leaders to form the new government in Romania. Razvan Ungureanu intends to submit the list of proposed ministers for the future government on Tuesday evening ( February 7 ), according to the local media. The former Prime Minister [...]
Foreign intelligence head Ungureanu nominated to lead new Government in Romania
The Romanian head of foreign intelligence Mihai Razvan Ungureanu has been nominated to occupy the Prime Minister seat, Romanian president Traian Basescu has announced. The proposal came on Monday evening, after Emil Boc resigned earlier during the day. Ungureanu will start negotiating with the Governing coalition in Romania to create the new cabinet, and the [...]
Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu appointed interim PM in Romania
The current Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu (in picture) has been named interim Prime Minister after Emil Boc resigned earlier this morning. Two names have emerged as possible replacements for the PM in the meantime: the head of Romanian intelligence service Cristian Marior and the head of foreign intelligence Mihai Razvan Ungureanu. Predoiu, a 44-year old lawyer, was previously [...]
Romanian Prime Minister resigns after ‘cleaning up the country’
Romanian Prime-Minister Emil Boc (in picture) announced his resignation during a Government meeting on Monday morning ( February 6 ). He said that he had to step down from his position to let somebody else consolidate what the Government has done so far and to ease the social situation in the country. He has faced a wave [...]
Romanian president Basescu criticizes the Dutch over Schengen opposition
Romanian president Traian Basescu accused The Netherlands of “abuse” over opposition to Romania’s inclusion in the Schengen area. Speaking at a conference marking five years in the EU, Basescu said Romania should already be in the visa free, open border area and that his country had met all the conditions for membership. He warned about [...]
Opposition parties in Romania go on parliamentary strike
The opposition coalition in Romania decided Wednesday ( February 1 ) to hold the country’s first parliamentary strike, for an indefinite period. The Social Liberal Union’s parliamentary groups – senators and deputies of the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Social Democrat Party (PSD) and the Conservative Party (PC) adopted the measure following a majority of [...]
The Economist questions Romania’s Nastase corruption case
Former PM Adrian Nastase’s jail sentence for corruption caught the attention of international publication The Economist. The article, titled “Nastase Nailed,” hails the sentence as the first conviction for corruption of a post communist leader in Romania. The biggest scalp to date for Romania’s National Anti-corruption Directorate ( DNA ) is possibly not, according to [...]
Romanian president: Country will change constitution to comply with new EU treaty
Romania will have to include the features of the new European treaty on stability and deficit control in its Constitution, no later than the end of 2013, said president Traian Basescu (in picture), who took part in the European Council meeting yesterday ( January 30 ) in Brussels. European leaders met on Monday in Brussels [...]
Former Romanian PM gets two-year jail sentence for corruption
Former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase (in picture) was sentenced to two years in prison following a case dubbed the “Quality Trophy’. He was accused of having financed his election campaigns with funds collected for the symposium ‘Quality Trophy’, organized by the State Inspectorate for Quality in Construction. The court’s decision can be further appealed. The [...]
Romania’s governing coalition seeks IMF permission for public sector pay rises
The governing coalition in Romania has mandated Prime Minister Emil Boc (in picture) to negotiate an increase in salaries and pensions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which currently has a team in Romania to review the existing loan agreement with the country. Money for the proposed salary and pensions increases will come from the [...]
Enter a city
Romanian court rules Prince Paul member of Royal House of Romania 
Jamie Oliver strikes gold in new restaurant basement - Top Gear’s James May (just about) presents new Dacia Lodgy during the TV show
Yum! switches to Coca Cola from rival Pepsi for its KFC, Pizza Hut restaurants in Romania - Subway fast food chain enters Romanian market with Iasi restaurant
Two Romanians awarded by Oscars organizers for Phantom high speed camera 
Romanian climber Coco Popescu sets world record for climbing tallest volcano in Antarctica 
Romanian actress Ana Ularu receives ‘Shooting Stars’ award at Berlin Film Festival 
Shakira to shake up Bucharest with May concert 
Lufthansa introduces new flights to Romania after 20% increase in passenger volumes
