Politics

• 16 Aug 2010 | Politics

  Chamber of Deputies passes ANI Law

  The Chamber of Deputies passed 204 to 2 and 2 abstentions the Law concerning the organisation and functioning of the National Integrity Agency (ANI), at today's extraordinary session. Tudor Chiuariu and Mihaita Calimente of the opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) were the only MPs to vote against the ANI law, while Daniel Oajdea of the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), major at rule

• 11 Aug 2010 | Politics

  Deputies' Chamber judicial commission issues approving report on ANI Law

  The Judicial Commission in the lower Deputies' Chamber has issued an approving report on the National Integrity Agency (ANI) Law in an unanimous vote, after four-hour long debates. 'I believe that what we did in the Judicial Commission today will resist any attack at the Constitutional Court, since we tried to observe the legal technique norms as well as to respect the right to a private life.

• 09 Aug 2010 | Politics

  Emil Boc: It will not be easy for this country

  Premier Emil Boc told a news conference in Iasi (eastern Romania) on Saturday that currently the Government was at the most difficult stage of the process meant to reform and restructure the state. "There will come and there are now procedures of restructuring, of dismissing employees paid form the budget, in other words, it is not easy for this country and it will have painful

• 06 Aug 2010 | Politics

  Basescu: A country that takes loans to pay wages and pensions is a second-rate one

  President Traian Basescu made another appearance on national television on Wednesday evening, in which he commented on the crisis and the austerity measures taken by the government, while launching another round of criticism on certain strategies of the Executive, on banks and his old-standing adversaries - the tycoons. Government - taken to task, September 1 deadline - still on

• 02 Aug 2010 | Politics

  How the Chinese explored the tourism brand Elena Udrea launched. Why wasn't Basescu there?

  Made with European Union money, officially launched 24 hours after it had been leaked at home, on the music of Gheorghe Zamfir, and with hostesses from Bolivia and Bulgaria. That was the birth of "our first professional tourism brand", according to the officials, and it was launched on "Romania Day" at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, which is the most ambitious expo in history.

• 29 Jul 2010 | Politics

  Romania can effectively manage migration flows at Schengen Space external border

  Romania is capable to effectively manage migration flows at the external border of the Schengen Space, in line with the standards used currently by the Schengen member states, maintains the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Romania has the capacity to effectively manage the migration flows at the external border of the Schengen Space, at the same standards this issues are managed currently by the present Schengen member states

• 27 Jul 2010 | Politics

  Survey: 41 pc of Romanians would vote Ceausescu for president

  Former communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, ousted in a violent uprising in December 1989 and executed after a makeshift trial immediately afterwards, would be voted by 41 per cent of Romanians if he ran for president against today's candidates and party leaders, a survey whose results were quoted by Agerpres reveals.

• 22 Jul 2010 | Politics

  Ceausescu spouses remains, exhumed

  A medical team from the Institute of Legal Medicine in Bucharest is exhuming on Wednesday the remains of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, executed during the Romanian revolution in 1989. The medical doctors are to take biological samples and send them to the laboratory for DNA testing. Husband of Zoia Ceausescu (Ceausescus' daughter) Mircea Operan will be present on behalf of the family.

• 21 Jul 2010 | Politics

  President Basescu: ANI law should be adjusted to meet Romania's obligations

  The Law on the National Integrity Agency (ANI) should be drawn up as to meet Romania's commitments, and the decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has generated to conditions to this end, Romania's President Traian Basescu said on Tuesday following the release of a report on Romania's progress with judicial reform drawn up by the European Commission.

• 20 Jul 2010 | Politics

  For the second time, ANI Law declared unconstitutional

  The nine CC judges debated the request in yesterday's meeting, allowing unanimously that the notification made by the head of state is justified. The argument which motivates the ruling given by the Constitutional Court Assembly will be presented in the decision to be published in the Official Paper of Romania. As of the publication date, the decision is compulsory and cannot be applied retroactively.

• 08 Jul 2010 | Politics

  President blames Parliament, Constitutional Court for VAT hike

  The Head of State admitted yesterday, in an interview for the public radio station, that the VAT hike was a mistake, pointing out that the measure will not solve Romania's problems, with the solution to those problems consisting of taxing all incomes, lowering the huge salaries that some public sector employees have and cancelling social

• 30 Jun 2010 | Politics

  Wage law to be enforced following Parliament vote

  The Law on several measures required to restore the budget balance is to take effect following the nearly unanimous vote passed by the Romanian lawmakers. After the Constitutional Court ruled that the Law is constitutional, the vote cast by the Parliament's joint Chambers was a mere formality, having been taken under the pressure of the need that the act should take effect by the next meeting

• 17 Jun 2010 | Politics

  PES leader: In last months we have been witnessing serious assault on democratic system in Romania

  Agerpres correspondent Tudor Martalogu reports: Romania is in a state of social and economic crisis and in the last months we have been witnessing an assault on the democratic and welfare systems in this country, leader of the Party of European Socialists (PES) Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said ahead of a Summit of the European Socialists and Social Democratic leaders taking place in Brussels, on the eve of the summer European Council.

• 16 Jun 2010 | Politics

  No-confidence motion defeated by Parliament

  A no-confidence motion called Stop Social Genocide tabled by 120 lawmakers of the PSD+PC was defeated by the joint sitting of Parliament, Senate's Democratic Liberal Secretary Gheorghe David announced. 'The Standing Bureaus of the two chambers of Parliament found that 228 of the valid votes were cast in favour of the no-confidence motion, while 197 votes were cast against. Three votes were cancelled', David said.

• 03 Jun 2010 | Politics

  PM Boc: Restriction of right to pension and to wage refers to their amount

  Premier Emil Boc pointed out that the restriction to be applied on the right to pension and to wage, based on Art. 53 of the Constitution, does not mean its annulment, but the modification of the respective amounts, maintaining that this is a fact also confirmed by the Constitutional Court

• 20 May 2010 | Politics

  Gov't to earmark 6.4pc of GDP for investment

  The Romanian Government will earmark 6.4 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for investment, state secretary with the Ministry of Economy Maria Parcalabescu said. 'The Romanian Government will allocate 6.4 percent of the GDP for investment, which is the largest GDP share allocated in the past 15 years. Earmarking the money for investment will have a multiplying effect and will generate economic recovery,' she said

• 19 May 2010 | Politics

  ANI law is topic of discussion with EC expert mission

  The law on the National Integrity Agency (ANI) was one of the topics of discussion tackled by Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu and the European Commission (EC) expert mission that arrived in Bucharest to assess all benchmarks set under the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification (MCV)

• 19 May 2010 | Politics

  Romanian Gov't does not approve letter of intent to IMF without CES assent

  The Government will not approve the letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement without the assent given by the Economic and Social Council (CES), underlined Prime Minister Emil Boc's economic counsellor Andreea Paul-Vass

• 19 May 2010 | Politics

  Trade unions demanding renegotiation of letter of intent

  The Cartel Alfa National Trade Union Confederation, the Fratia National Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Romania, the National Trade Union Bloc and the Meridian National Trade Union Confederation believe that the austerity measures proposed by the Romanian Government are unacceptable and have taken to protesting before the Government House, the Parliament House and the Cotroceni Presidential Palace

• 17 May 2010 | Politics

  CNS Cartel Alfa leader: Protest rally scheduled for Wednesday to be held regardless of CES session results

  The protest rally scheduled for Wednesday in Victoria Square will be held regardless of the result of today's session of the Economic and Social Committee (CES), CNS Cartel Alfa leader Bogdan Hossu told a press conference. "The protest rally scheduled for Wednesday will take place regardless of what CES says today, since there exists no government document to guarantee that the Committee's decisions will be observed,"

• 17 May 2010 | Politics

  PNL adopts an economic anti-crisis programme to present at the CES reunion

  The PNL chairman Crin Antonescu stated on Friday in a press conference that the economic programme proposed by the liberals will be discussed and approved on Monday in the meeting of the National Executive Council to be later presented in the CES meeting, where the liberals were invited by the chairman of the Economic and Social Council (CES)

• 13 May 2010 | Politics

  ANI Law is adopted quasi-unanimously by Senate

  The draft law on the integrity consolidation in the exercise of public positions and offices, regulating the activity of the National Agency for Integrity (ANI), was adopted on Wednesday with 92 votes 'in favor', one 'against' and an abstention

• 05 May 2010 | Politics

  More than RON 61 ml for extra Romanian troops deployed to Afghanistan in Q2

  Under a Government Resolution published on Monday in the Official Journal of Romania, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) receives 61.521 million lei (about 14.475 million euros) to cover the costs of the supplementation of Romanian troops in Afghanistan in the second quarter of 2010

• 03 May 2010 | Politics

  Romania to serve 2-year term in OPCW Executive Council

  Romania is elected to serve a two-year term in the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), over May 1, 2010 and May 1, 2012, Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) release informs

• 27 Apr 2010 | Politics

  Videanu admits that he is in conflict of interests in connection to Marmosim

  Adriean Videanu asked, in a letter sent to EC the opinion of the European commissionaire for regional development about the intention of Marmosim, whose owner he is to take EU funds in an operational programme where the ministry of economy is management authority

• 27 Apr 2010 | Politics

  Stolojan: Taking Romania out of crisis will be more difficult than imagined

  Taking Romania out of the ongoing crisis will be difficult, because the country went into crisis 'fully disarmed,' Romanian MEP Theodor Stolojan told a conference on Friday in Bucharest on the European Union's Europe 2020 strategy

• 22 Apr 2010 | Politics

  Gov't passes draft law on Constitution revision

  The Government approved the draft law on the Constitution revision, that says Parliament will be replaced by the Chamber of Representatives. 'The most important provision refers switching to one-chamber Parliament. Following this move, we'll have only one chamber of Parliament that will be called the Chamber of Representatives

• 21 Apr 2010 | Politics

  PM Boc: Public expenditure cutbacks have been Govt's goal since 2009

  The cutbacks in the public expenditure are a goal the Government has pledged since 2009, Prime Minister Emil Boc said during the talks between his Cabinet ministers and President Traian Basescu at the Cotroceni presidential Palace on Tuesday. "If this Government and the previous Government had done nothing since December 2008 till now, Romania's budget deficit would have been at 12 percent in 2009 and 17 percent in 2010"

• 21 Apr 2010 | Politics

  S&P does not disconsider early parliamentary elections in Romania

  The S&P rating agency does not disconsider early parliamentary elections in Romania, although at present the opposition parties try to come back from the defeat at the previous presidential elections. "Although the main opposition parties try to strengthen after the electoral defeat, we do not exclude the possibility of early parliamentary elections, before 2012" the report says

• 20 Apr 2010 | Politics

  Boc Cabinet holds informal meeting to discuss lay-offs

  The Emil Boc Cabinet will gather in an informal meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday to examine the current situation of the public sector lay-offs, Government sources said. 'It is small-scale meeting of the ministers on the issue of the public sector lay-offs, we want to draw up their current situation in order to present it to the head of state', the sources said