Dan Nica

European Commission President-elect Ursula Von der Leyen on Tuesday rejected the fourth candidate proposed by Romania to represent it on the new Commission - whose constitution is being delayed by the problems in finding a suitable Romanian member.

Romania's interim prime minister Viorica Dancila announced on Tuesday that she is nominating former minister and ex-MEP Victor Negrescu as the country's new candidate for the next European Commission after Brussels refused Bucharest's three previous nominations for the post.

Special AGERPRES correspondent, Florin Stefan, reports: Romania should send its European Commissioner proposal by the beginning of next week, at the latest, in order for the European Parliament to be able to stick to its timetable and vote for the new European Commission at its session in November, Dacian Ciolos stated on Tuesday in Strasbourg.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Wednesday that Romania's new nominee for European Commissioner, Dan Nica, was not rejected by the EU executive body. "He wasn't rejected. I very much respect the media and I know that it plays a very important role in the Romanian state, but when false information is circulated in the public space this no longer provides a high reliability.

MEP Dan Nica remains the main proposal of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) for the position of European Commissioner from Romania, although two proposals of candidates will be sent to the Commission, PSD leader and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said at the end of the meeting of the PSD's National Executive Committee on Tuesday.

Rovana Plumb said her nomination as European Commissioner honours her and makes her take responsibility at the same time. "This nomination honours me and makes me take responsibility at the same time.

President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday specified he informed PM Viorica Dancila about the proposals for the office of European Commissioner not being right. The head of the state on Wednesday told an informal discussion with journalists that the PM only informed and not consulted him in making the two proposals, Rovana Plumb and Dan Nica respectively.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila suggested to Dacian Ciolos, chairman of the PLUS (Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity, ed. n.) to make an analysis of his own activity as European Commissioner, after the leaders of USR (Save Romania Union, ed. n.) PLUS criticised the nominations by the ruling PSD (Social Democratic Party, ed. n.) for the European Commissioner job.

According to the final count of the May 26 elections to the European Parliament in Romania, the National Liberal Party (PNL) will get 10 MEP seats; the Social Democratic Party (PSD), nine; and the Save Romania Union - Plus (2020 USR PLUS) eight, spokesman for the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) Marian Muhulet said on Monday.

Romania's Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Tuesday had a meeting with European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans on a visit to Strasbourg where she underscored a need for close co-ordination between Romania and the European Commission during the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, expressing a wish fort the debate in the European Parliament on Wednesday to be reasoning-base