Viorica Dancila

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced on Thursday that farmers will receive this year their subsidies for agriculture in advance.

Romania's Supreme Court on Thursday jailed former Finance Minister Darius Valcov for eight years for influence peddling, money laundering and transactions that were incompatible with his position in the administration.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced that the activity of each minister in her Cabinet will be assessed on a monthly basis, together with the leaders of the Social Democrat Party (PSD) - the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) coalition, Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu.

Romania's new Social Democrat government, led by the country's first woman Prime Minister, Viorica Dancila, was sworn in on Monday.

However, there was criticism from the opposition about the alleged lack of expertise among some ministers and about a governance plan that has raised fears of further economic uncertainty.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday agreed to appoint Social Democrat MEP Viorica Dancila as the country's first ever woman prime minister.

Dancila, 55, was nominated by the ruling Social Democrat Party on Tuesday to head Romania's third cabinet in the last year.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta congratulated on Friday the Romanian members of the European Parliament nominated for the annual prize awarded by 'The Parliament Magazine.'

Photo credit: (c) Siviu MATEI / AGERPRES FLOW

Special AGERPRES correspondent Catalina Matei reports: The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament (AGRI) is one of strategic importance not only for Europe, but for Romania also, the Social Democrat MEP Viorica Dancila, who just got elected as Vice President of this Committee, on Monday said in a statement.