Senate of Romania

The new Romanian parliament, elected on December 11, held its first sitting on Tuesday, with the Social Democratic Party, PSD and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, ALDE striking a deal to establish a coalition government.

The PSD and ALDE signed an agreement on Monday evening to come up with a joint cabinet, where portfolios are to be assigned to the two parties proportionally.

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.

Senate Chairman Calin Popescu-Tariceanu told a plenary debate in Parliament on a motion of censure against the Ponta Government that the National Liberal Party (PNL) has no right to talk about legitimacy, adding that it is for the first time in the history of PNL when its national leader was appointed instead of elected to office.

The two Speakers of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, Valeriu Zgonea and Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, respectively, assert in a letter to the foreign ambassadors accredited to Bucharest that the current Opposition is attempting to push "the overthrowing of a legitimate government" by using the judiciary as "a tool" to take over power.

The Senate on Wednesday passed a legislative proposal concerning election to the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies and the operation of the Standing Electoral Authority (AEP) initiated by parliamentarians from the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Union for Romania's Progress (UNPR), the Conservative Party (PC), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Hungarian Democratic Union of Roma

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

The National Liberal Party (PNL) is demanding an early election that will give the country a new parliament, PNL co-chair Alina Gorghiu said Wednesday in the context of Senate's vote the same day on Senator Dan Sova.

Photo credit (c) MIHAI POZIUMSCHI / AGERPRES PHOTO

Honorary Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Mircea Ionescu-Quintus, who turns 98 today, has been celebrated at a plenary session of the Senate and later on, fellow Liberal MPs honored him too on the occasion.

Mircea Ionescu-Quintus
Photo credit: (c) Alex TUDOR / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Monday said that the constitution revision process should be completed this year, but an impediment in the National Liberal Party (PNL) may be represented by rallying around the position of the former Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) to oppose the amendment of the fundamental law.

Photo credit: (c) Liviu SOVA / AGERPRES PHOTO

The joint plenum of the Deputies' Chamber and Senate will vote on Monday, at 16,00, on the nomination of Liberal (PNL) MEP Eduard Hellvig as the civilian head of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), Deputies' Chamber Speaker Valeriu Zgonea announced.

Photo credit: (c) GRIGORE POPESCU / AGERPRES STREAM