Calin Popescu Tariceanu

The Dutch embassy in Romania has stressed its support for the fight against corruption in the country, a day after two ruling coalition politicians accused one of its former ambassadors of lobbying for the appointment of Laura Codruta Kovesi as chief prosecutor of the powerful National Anticorruption Directorate in 2012.

Romania's ruling Social Democrat-led coalition on Friday approved a cabinet reshuffle proposed by Prime Minister Mihai Tudose after days of tense negotiations.

Israeli billionaire Benjamin Steinmetz, who has strong business ties to the Balkans, was detained for questioning alongside three other businessmen on Monday for allegedly using fake contracts to move and launder money in connection with an iron-mining operation in Guinea.

Romania's ruling Social Democrat Party leadership on Thursday decided to submit an impeachment motion in parliament against its own government and voted to exclude Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu from its ranks.

Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu on Monday fired the Deputy PM and Environment Minister Daniel Constantin, co-chair of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, ALDE, a week after new skirmishes surfaced inside the junior ally of the PM's main governing Social Democratic Party, PSD.

Romanian senators are to discuss a bill on Wednesday that would forbid the president from naming the chief prosecutors at the country's anti-graft watchdogs - a move which has caused new tensions between the ruling Social Democratic Party-Alliance of Liberals and Democrats coalition and President Klaus Iohannis.

Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Wednesday defended the decision to evict the influential private TV company Antena Group from its premises as legal and said it had nothing to do with attempts to stop it broadcasting.

Senate Chairman Calin Popescu Tariceanu and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Valeriu Zgonea, on Friday welcomed First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Monday announced having informed Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Valeriu Zgonea and Senate Chairman Calin Popescu Tariceanu about the need for the passage either of an emergency ordinance or of a draft law to ban exportation of unprocessed wood.

Photo credit: (c) Liviu SOVA / AGERPRES PHOTO

The Senate Speaker, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, on Tuesday announced two persons have already submitted their candidacies for becoming the next Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) head, namely Radu Boroianu, from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Iulian Tanase, from the National Liberal Party (PNL).

Photo credit: (c) Alex MICSIK / AGERPRES PHOTO