Romanian MPs return to work this week

Romanian MPs return to work on Monday, February 2. The Chamber of Deputies’ first ordinary session this year is scheduled for February 2, 14:00, according to an official statement. The Chamber's Permanent Deputies will meet at 13:00 to appoint the new members, namely the vice-presidents, the secretaries and the quaestors, reports Hotnews.ro. The “Prime Minister’s hour,” a novelty in the Chamber of Deputies’ program, will start at 18:00. During this hour, Prime Minister Victor Ponta will present the Government’s priorities to the Chamber. Another novelty is the “minister’s hour,” dedicated to the hearing of Romanian ministers. The Senators will also resume work on Monday, February 2. According to the Constitution, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate shall meet in two ordinary sessions per year. The first session begins in February and cannot exceed the end of June. The second session starts in September and cannot exceed the end of December. Thus, Romanian MPs have at least one month of holiday in winter and two months free in summer. The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate can also meet in extraordinary sessions, at the request of the President, of the Permanent Bureau of each chamber or at least one-third of the Deputies or Senators. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com