Catalina Matei

The Save Romania Union (USR) USR PLUS alliance is ready to get in power, but only after winning legitimacy from Parliament allowing for a restructuring programme to be implemented, PLUS national leader Dacian Ciolos said on Wednesday.

The 17th ProEtnica intercultural festival staged in the medieval citadel of Sighisoara between August 21 and 25 was an occasion for the thousands of tourists there to sing, dance and revel in the lively and colorful atmosphere created by the performances put up by the representatives of all of Romania's recognized ethnic minorities during the largest intercultural event in the country.

The standing delegation of Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) on Monday voted to exit the coalition government and endorse Mircea Diaconu's candidacy in the presidential elections this November, ALDE leader Calin Popescu-Tariceanu announced. He also announced he would resign from his office as Senate President.

Pro Romania is going to endorse the candidacy of Mircea Diaconu in the presidential elections, according to an announcement made by this party's leader, Victor Ponta, on Monday. He has specified that his party will back Diaconu as an independent candidate and not as a member of Pro Romania.

The Ministry of National Defense is making every effort for the highly trained personnel of the Romanian Air Force to be equipped with modern hardware, said Defense Minister Gabriel Les, attending on Monday the departure ceremony of the 'Carpathian Pumas' airlift helicopter detachment for a UN mission to Mali.

The deputies' spending in the first six months of the year amounts to 91,849,485 lei, shows data released on the website of the Chamber of Deputies. The month-by-month breakdown is as follows: January - 14,294,989 lei; February - 14,362,077 lei; March - 16,018,184 lei; April - 15,870,539 lei; May - 15,586,634 lei; June - 15,716,962 lei.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Mircea Geoana has stated on Wednesday that he is proud to have been appointed as Deputy Secretary General of NATO, a position which represent, in his view, a recognition of the Romania's "important" contribution within the Alliance. "I am proud to be appointed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as the next Deputy Secretary General.

Romania has confirmed its statute as a full member through exercising the Presidency of the European Union Council, which shows the legitimacy of our country's aspiration to conclude the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), Prime Minister Viorica Dancila stated on Tuesday in the plenary meeting of the European Parliament.

The idea of sending "undercover patients" to hospitals is in fact a part of the anti-corruption strategy that the Ministry of Health has to implement by 2020, Health Minister Sorina Pintea said on Tuesday. "It's not my idea; it's part of a strategy that the Ministry of Health must implement by 2020 - the story with the mysterious patient.

Senator Nicolae Moga was validated on Monday by the Executive Committee (CEx) of the majority Social Democratic Party (PSD) for the office of Interior Minister, while Mihai Fifor was validated for Deputy Prime Minister in charge with strategic partnerships, PSD national leader Viorica Dancila said at the end of the CEx meeting.