Romania's parliament

Supporters of Romania's nationalistic Alliance for the Union of Romanians, AUR, protested in Brussels against a draft law on the efficient urbanisation of Romanian cities, claiming it will limit people's freedom of movement.

Romania's parliament swore in a government led by new Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Thursday, with 318 votes out of 466.

The new majority comprises the National Liberal Party, PNL, the Social Democratic Party, PSD, and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, UDMR.

Romania's parliament overthrew Prime Minister Florin Katsu's minority government, which has ruled for just nine months. The country, which along with Bulgaria is one of the poorest members of the European Union, has been in political stagnation for more than a month, threatening the pace of economic recovery and tackling the pandemic.

Romania's parliament on Wednesday scrapped mandatory "sexual education" in the country's schools, bowing to pressure from the powerful Romanian Orthodox Church, which called it an attack on childhood innocence.

One out of three Romanians would refuse to be vaccinated against Covid-19, according to an opinion survey conducted on May 13 and 14 by the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy, IRES, results of which were published by media on Turesday.

Photo: BIRN.

As the giant digital clock strikes 9 p.m., bursts of water surge from the fountains, lit up in colour and dancing to the music of Johann Strauss, Pharrell Williams and sprightly Romanian songs.

Romania's parliament on Wednesday voted to adopt a disputed law on money-laundering meant to implement a European Union directive in the field, a year and a half after the deadline had passed and months after Brussels referred the country to the European court for failing to comply.

Romania's parliament passed legislation to regulate offshore gas exploitation in the Black Sea in an unexpected expedited vote late on Monday evening, after months of negotiations and controversy between the government and investors over its financial framework.

Romania is resisting pressure to rush through legislation to regulate offshore exploitation of its Black Sea gas deposits - amid a spat with Hungary over the lack of infrastructure and the slow progress in adopting relavant legislation so far.  

Romania's parliament is to discuss a bill that would allow ethnic Romanians from non-EU countries in the Balkans to get jobs in Romania more easily than other non-EU citizens, to meet a growing labour shortage.

MPs from a number of parties submitted the bill to the Senate last week. It must now be discussed by parliamentary commissions and in plenary sessions.