Romania’s ruling coalition agrees on election dates
Romania’s ruling coalition of the center-left Social Democrat Party (PSD) and center-right National Liberal Party (PNL) have agreed to hold a presidential election on November 24 and December 8 with parliamentary elections in between, on December 1, Romania’s National Day. The decision comes after long PSD – PNL disputes and following talks of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu with other political parties involved in the process. However, the two parties, widely expected to keep up their coalition after parliamentary elections on December 1, are expected to put forward separate candidates to succeed outgoing President Klaus Iohannis. PSD and PNL, involved in a governing coalition since 2021, ran on joint lists in elections for European Parliament in June when they secured 48.6 % of the vote followed by the far-right AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians), the third most popular party.
Drug dealers arrested following a DIICOT operation
Two people were arrested in Romania’s capital Bucharest following a raid on Thursday of agents of the country’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrosirm (DIICOT). The two were trying to sell 10,000 Ecstasy tablets as one of the defendants was previuosly trying to get into the country almost 220,000 Ecstasy pills – weighing 7.5 kg. – and some 10 grams of cocaine from the Netherlands. The defendants were expected to sell the drugs – of more than 220,000 euros in value – at music festivals in the capital Bucharest and across the country. One of the defendants is also accused of trying to sell hight-risk drugs and psychoactive substances last month.
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez on a visit to Bucharest
Romania’s Parliament will host a meeting of International Socialists – Europe division – on Saturday when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the leader of Socialist International – is expected to visit the country. An official meeting between Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and his Spanish counterpart is expected after the event at Romania’s government headquarters. “The event will point out that PSD is a respectable and credible party on international arena”, Mr. Ciolacu noted on his Facebook account.
Alexandru Danga
