Romanian presidential election

President Klaus Iohannis received on Wednesday visiting Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, with the two officials emphasizing the excellent bilateral relation marked this year by the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Romania and the Kingdom of Spain, the Presidential Administration informs in a release.

President Klaus Iohannis sent today to Justice Minister Stelian Ion the request for the start of the criminal investigation of former Prime Minister and former Senate Chairman Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.

Romania's Constitutional Court on Wednesday annulled legislation adopted by parliament last June that effectively banned gender studies in the educational system.

President Klaus Iohannis welcomed at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace on Tuesday agreed Ambassador of Canada Annick Goulet, agreed Ambassador of Japan Hiroshi Ueda, and agreed Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic Maria Teresa Netto dos Santos Mariano Shearman de Macedo.

President Klaus Iohannis on Monday, after the first round of consultations with representatives of the parties and political formations represented in Parliament, has said that the conditions for designating a candidate to the prime minister office have not been met yet.

The Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Marcel Ciolacu, declared on Monday that he proposed, at the meeting at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, a Government of national union with Alexandru Rafila as Prime Minister. According to Ciolacu, President Klaus Iohannis mentioned that the PSD's proposal for prime minister in the person of Alexandru Rafila is an "honorable one".

The Social Democrat Party (PSD) has obtained in the parliamentary elections for the Senate 1,732,289 votes, while the PNL has obtained 1,511,227 votes, according to the final results after the solving of complaints announced on Saturday by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC).

President Klaus Iohannis is attending the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. In the context of the meeting in Brussels, Klaus Iohannis spoke on Tuesday, on the telephone, with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, at the latter's request.

President Klaus Iohannis participated today in a video-conference meeting with the ambassadors of the European Union Member States accredited in Bucharest, on the occasion of the traditional biannual meeting organized by Germany, as the current holder of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Romania's Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca was named interim prime minister on Monday evening after Ludovic Orban resigned over his ruling centre-right National Liberal Party, PNL's poor showing in Sunday's parliamentary election.

The PNL was widely considered the front-runner at the polls, but was defeated by the opposition Social Democratic Party, PSD.