Claudia Stanescu

Pope Francis has arrived at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, where he was welcome by President Klaus Iohannis. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)

Pope Francis has arrived in Bucharest on Friday for a state, pastoral and ecumenical three-day visit, carried out under the generic title "Let's walk together!." The Sovereign Pontiff was welcome, on the Henri Coanda International Airport, by President Klaus Iohannis and his wife Carmen Iohannis. He was honoured by a military guard.

Pope Francis has arrived in Bucharest on Friday for a state, pastoral and ecumenical three-day visit, carried out under the generic title "Let's walk together!." The Sovereign Pontiff was welcomed, on the Henri Coanda International Airport, by President Klaus Iohannis and his wife Carmen Iohannis.

Pope Francis has arrived in Bucharest on Friday for a state, pastoral and ecumenical three-day visit, carried out under the generic title "Let's walk together!." AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Popescu, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - editor: Adina Panaitescu)

Data centralised by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) as of Monday at 10:23hrs, EEST, indicated that 1,625,321 people voted "YES" to question no. 1 and 1,619,681 said "YES" to question no. 2, both in Sunday's justice referendum. Answering "NO" to question no. 1 were 277,976 voters, and doing the same to question no. 2 were 271,104 voters.

The National Liberal Party (PNL) obtained 26.23 percent of the votes in the elections to the European Parliament held on Sunday, whereas the Social Democratic Party (PSD) 23.68 percent and the Save Romania Union (USR) PLUS Alliance 20.51 percent, according to the partial data provided by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC).

All 441 polling stations opened abroad are operational and working normally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Sunday. "Apart from isolated technical incidents that were quickly remedied, in the early morning hours all activities in the diaspora polling stations are running within the normal parameters.

The polling station's control stamp having been applied anywhere else than on the last page of the ballot paper is no reason to invalidate the ballot, Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) spokesman Marian Muhulet said on Sunday. He specified that the ballot papers stamped on the first page or elsewhere are not void and will therefore not be invalidated at the vote count that starts after 21:00 hrs.

Since the start of the voting process this Sunday, Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) staff have imposed 11 sanctions - six warnings and five fines worth a combined 2,900 lei, Ministry spokesperson Monica Dajbog announced. Police are currently investigating six offenses. "There haven's been any special public order incidents in the six hours since the start of the voting process.

PRO Romania Party Chairman Victor Ponta stated on Sunday, after casting his vote at a polling station organised at the "Maria Rosetti" School in Bucharest, that Romania stands to win if a lot of electors turn out to vote. When asked by journalists about the voter turnout, he answered: "If a lot of people turn out to vote, Romania definitely stands to win.