Romanian politics review, Jan 23 - 29, 2013: Increases in pensions and minimum wage, president or PM at EU, IMF visit

One of the main jobs for parliament in the last was the draft budget proposal. The plan for 2013 spending received government approval and was passed onto MPs ahead of a parliamentary discussion on February 5. The budget proposal includes increases in pensions, minimum wage and unemployment insurance.

Romanian government announces pension increases in draft budget Romania's government approves draft budget, parliamentary discussion set for February 5 Romania's President Traian Basescu has had somewhat international week; first up, the meeting with the heads of the diplomatic missions on his home turf, the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, where the President reasserted Romania's commitment to NATO and pledged to continue support in Afghanistan. he also took the opportunity to comment on the attack at the gas plant in Algeria, in which Romanian workers died. Next, he was off to Chile for an EU and Latin American countries summit. There were media suggestions that he received something of a cold shoulder from his European counterparts, but with much of the meetings behind closed doors, the reports could be dismissed as speculation backed by little evidence. Romania's President: Support to Afghanistan will continue, Algerian attack asks questions that need answers Romanian president at EU – Latin American summit: Little mingling with EU officials, visit to Peru, talks with French PM Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean was in the news again. This time he was in The Hague talking to the Dutch about Romania's Schengen accession. The Dutch have proved to be among the staunchest opponents of Romania's accession to the open border area. Romania goes to Hague to talk about Schengen admission The size and composition of Romania's parliament has come under scrutiny in the last week. The ruling Social Liberal Union (USL) put forward a proposal to limit the number of MPs in the next parliament. The 588 MPs make the current parliament the biggest ever in Romania, but the new proposal would reduce the number to 300 with a maximum of two senators per county. A report was also published in the last week on the composition of Romania parliament. The report showed that the re-election rate is low and that women are under represented in Romanian politics.