Social Democrats

In the first parliamentary election since the murder two years ago of journalist Jan Kuciak, the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLANO) party took almost 25 per cent of the vote, compared with 18.5 per cent for SMER-SD.

It was SMER-SD's first loss in a general election since 2006 and its worst showing at the ballot box since 2002.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) says that it is the duty of the prime minister-designate to prove that he has the support of Parliament for the formation of the Government, and Ludovic Orban is trying in vain to blame the Social Democratic parliamentarians. "It is the duty of the prime minister-designate to prove that he has Parliament's support for the formation of the Government.

The censure motion titled "Orban / PNL government - privatisation of Romanian democracy", initiated by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), was adopted by Parliament on Wednesday. There were 261 votes "in favour", as announced by acting leader of the Social Democrats, Marcel Ciolacu.AGERPRES(RO - author: Alina Novaceanu, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Maria Voican)

Former Romanian President Klaus Iohannis won the second round of the Romanian presidential election on Sunday, according to exit polls, AFP reported. His re-election confirmed the pro-European position of the EU's eastern member state, the agency added.

"I promise to be a president for all Romanians ... A modern, European, normal Romania won today," Iohannis said.

National Liberal Party (PNL) Senator Alina Gorghiu said on Monday that the only electoral debate in which President Klaus Iohannis, endorsed for re-election by the party, will participate in one such debate to be organized on Tuesday at the Central University Library, and PNL representatives will attend public radio and television broadcasts alongside officials of the rival Social Democratic Pa

Romania needs an active and present president, who does not step in only when crisis strikes, Save Romania Union (USR) presidential hopeful Dan Barna tells AGERPRES in an interview. He adds that if he wins the elections, Romania will have for the first time a president from the private sector, after "two teachers, a book publisher and a ship commander" who came from the public sector.

Orban, 56, who until now led the opposition and initiated the no-confidence vote, must now choose a team and seek support in parliament from the fragmented bloc of MPs that toppled Social Democrat prime minister Viorica Dancila.

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Executive Political Bureau took note on Friday, according to the party statute, of the loss of the member quality in the case of Teodor Melescanu, Gratiela Leocadia Gavrilescu, Ion Cupa and Alexandru Stefan Baisanu, an ALDE release informs.

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has threatened to torpedo a number of major achieved reforms in the country, including the formation of joint armed forces and a state court and police agency, unless a state-level government is formed soon.

It is being referred to in public as a diplomatic scandal, at least, as the most clumsily worded political stance, Radio Free Europe reports.