Viorica Dăncilă

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Wednesday sent a letter to President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, asking him to clarify "the de facto and de jure aspects" related to a letter of the EC from October 2012, sent to the Romanian Justice Ministry in which "concrete, direct" demands can be found regarding certain criminal cases and certain people under criminal investigation for

Romania's de facto leader strengthened his grip on power by helping elevate an ally to a pivotal post within the ruling party, Bloomberg reports.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Saturday at the PSD's extraordinary Congress that the Government wants to adopt the German model in the field of public procurement.

President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday welcomed his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, on an official visit to Bucharest, at Cotroceni Palace.

Iohannis greeted Vucic in the Cotroceni Palace Ceremony Hall, where the two national anthems were played after a review of the Guard of Honour.

The European Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament will not exclude Romania's Social Democratic Party - despite several members of the group criticizing Romania's ruling party and its allegedly illiberal justice policies.

"We have had no discussions on excluding them," a spokesperson from the centre-left group in the European Parliament told BIRN.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila convened on Tuesday at Victoria Palace the first Inter-ministerial Committee dedicated to the preparation of the Centennial, specifying that "unity should be the key word" this year.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Tuesday welcomed French ambassador to Bucharest Michele Ramis at the Government House, announcing an intention for the roadmap to the Strategic Partnership Statement between Romania and France to be updated this year.

A first evaluation of the ministers' activity will take place in the ruling coalition, after the Social Democratic Party (PSD)'s congress due March 10, the main ruling party's national leader Liviu Dragnea stated on Monday.

Liviu Dragnea made this statement after the sitting of the PSD's National Executive Committee.

First Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans is paying a visit on Thursday to Romania, where he is to be welcomed by President Klaus Iohannis, the two heads of Parliament, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and Liviu Dragnea, respectively and the Prime minister, Viorica Dancila.

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea was surprised that he should give any explanations regarding the removal from office of the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) at a meeting with First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans on Thursday, arguing that the Romanian Parliament has no reason to give explanations.