Social Democrats

Romania's government on Thursday inaugurated its six-month presidency of the European Union Council amid popular protests and renewed calls from EU guests for the country to continue to fight corruption.

Romania's ruling Social Democratic Party on Monday dismissed seven cabinet ministers and sanctioned several high-profile party members, sparking concerns that the leadership is bent on purging all party members who have been critical of its strongman Liviu Dragnea.

The vice-president of Macedonia's main ruling Social Democratic Party, Petre Shilegov, on Wednesday confirmed that his parliamentary group has begun talks with its opposition rivals in parliament to persuade them to vote for the historic "name" agreement with Greece.

Based on 98.61 per cent of votes counted, Macedonia's State Electoral Commission, DIK, on Monday said the turnout in Sunday's consultative referendum was 36.87 per cent - far below the 50 per cent needed for the result to be deemed valid and legally binding.

Bucharest, Aug 14 /Agerpres/ - The Social Democratic Party (PSD) Senator [ex-Education Minister - editor&#39;s note] Ecaterina Andronescu on Tuesday asked the leader of this political entity to take a step back "to the benefit of Romania and of the PSD," also adding that in the shortest while the party should come "with a new Prime Minister and a new PSD government of super professionals."<

The Social Democratic Party (PSD), major at rule, claims that President of Romania Klaus Iohannis has allowed himself to "encourage anarchic, anti-PSD and anti-governmental street protests," urging him "to show responsibility, behave and act as president of the Romanians, to contribute to the consolidation of democratic rights and liberties, of a genuine rule of law."

Thousands of Romanian expatriates converged on central Bucharest on Friday for one of the largest rallies against the ruling Social Democrat Party since it won elections in December 2016.

National leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Calin Popescu-Tariceanu says a bid for the presidential election of 2019 would not scare him, but at this moment he is not drawn by any huge ambition to run.

Romania's government is set to nominate a new anti-graft chief prosecutor by the end of July, after the country's President announced early on Monday that he was dismissing anti-chief corruption prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi following a ruling of the Constitutional Court.

Romanian anti-corruption activists and opposition supporters prepared for more protests on Monday after the ruling Social Democrats showed strong support for their party leader, Liviu Dragnea, despite his receiving a second corruption-related sentence last week.