Romanian constitutional crisis

More than 10,000 Romanians gathered in Bucharest's Romanian capital to protest against the latest legislative changes passed by parliament, the agencies said. The demonstration route started at the University Square in the Parliament to go to the Ombudsman, the Constitutional Court, and the National Audiovisual Council.

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.

In an article published on Friday, Politico.eu notes the divergent paths Bulgaria and Romania have taken in their efforts to fight corruption, with Bucharest making progress and Sofia lagging behind.

The articles focuses on the role of Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), which has made a deep impact in a country known for public malfeasance and mismanagement.

Romania's Parliament on Tuesday rejected a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Victor Ponta filed by the opposition over a corruption scandal.

The motion, which was filed by the National Liberal Party (PNL), was backed by 207 MPs while eight voted against it. It needed at least 275 votes to pass. It was the second no-confidence vote against Ponta in four months.

The EU Commission’s proposal for the relocation of 120,000 refugees was approved on Thursday by the European Parliament to ease pressure on Greece, Hungary and Italy. Several eastern European countries oppose the plan.

European Union lawmakers in Brussels approved the plan in an emergency vote by 372 votes in favor, 134 against and 52 abstentions.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta says the Day of Romanian Language is a spiritual celebration of all Romanians from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and everywhere else.

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has been charged with fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering.

The charges date back to 2007-2011 - before he became prime minister in 2012, AFP reported. The investigation against him was opened in June.

The co-chairperson of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Alina Gorghiu, has stated on Friday, in the plenum of Parliament, during the debate on the motion of censure, that MPs have the chance to prove that the Legislative "is not solidary with abuse and hypocrisy" and appealed to the deputies and senators of parties in the governing coalition "to act like responsible persons".

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Tuesday evening that the same day he met ambassadors of EU member states as well as diplomatic representatives of the US and Canada in Bucharest to introduce his opinion on the current political state in Romania, adding that he was joined in his meetings by the chairs of the two chambers of Romania's Parliament.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta believes that the result of the vote in Parliament regarding the initiation of criminal proceedings against him, as requested by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), "is a normal one."