Traian Basescu

Romanian senators on Thursday voted down amendments to a bill offering an amnesty for graft-related offences, only a day after they had agreed to pass the bill - after activists mobilised on social media calling for renewed protests.

Moldova's new pro-Russian President, Igor Dodon, signed a decree on Tuesday stripping former Romanian President Traian Basescu of his Moldovan citizenship. Dodon made the announcement on his Facebook account.

For the new Socialist head of state, who was inaugurated on December 23, the move was the fulfillment of one of the promises he made during his electoral campaign.

Romania's Social Democratic Party, PSD, won legislative elections on Sunday and is set to designate the next Prime Minister, although it is still unclear if it managed to win a majority in parliament.

According to partial results after 98 per cent of the votes were counted, the PSD won 45.9 per cent, but this result might change after a redistribution of votes.

Romania's left-leaning Social Democrats easily won parliamentary elections a year after a major anti-corruption drive forced the last Socialist prime minister from power, near-final results released showed Dec. 12.

Romania's centre-left wing Social Democrat Party, PSD, won the country's legislative elections on Sunday, but failed to secure a parliamentary majority, leaving the door open for negotiations on forming a coalition with another parliamentary group.

The Social Democrat Party (PSD) is in for a big win in the general election held in Romania on Sunday, exit poll projections show.

If confirmed, the result could bring the left-wing party back into power after resigning over last year's protests.

The PSD got 45.2% of the vote, acording to the Center for Urban and Regional Sociology (CURS), quoted by AGERPRES.

Prosecutors from Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate on Tuesday arrested the head of the Permanent Electoral Authority, AEP, Ana Maria Patru, and charged her with influence peddling and money laundering.

Patru, 40, faces three accounts of influence peddling and two accounts of money laundering committed between 2007 and 2015.

National Anticorruption Directorate prosecutors carried out searches on Tuesday at the Permanent Electoral Authority, AEP headquarters in Bucharest.

Their target was the head of the AEP, Ana Maria Patru, who according to Anticorruption Directorate sources is under investigation for alleged influence peddling and possible money laundering committed from 2008 to 2015.

Ahead of a decision by the Romanian Constitutional Court on November 29 on whether gay marriages are constitutional, calls to ban gay marriage by redefining the constitutional definition of the family have gained traction in the general election campaign.

Traian Basescu and his wife are to take an oath on Thursday to obtain Moldovan citizenship, just few days before Romania's neighbour country elects a new president in a closely-contested run-off vote between pro-European and pro-Russian candidates.