About: Victor Ponta
Ponta denies talks with ECR, flirts with Socialists and Macron
Romania’s former Prime Minister Victor Ponta is not planning to ally his new ProRomania party with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, he told EURACTIV on Wednesday (22 May), insisting that his primary goal was to be with the EU's Socialists and Democrats.
EU socialists say Romania’s Victor Ponta is ‘fully unreliable’
Romania’s former Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has left the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) and formed his own ProRomania party, cannot be trusted as he changes his mind every week, a high-ranking EU socialist told EURACTIV.com.
EU country briefing: Romania
The following article is a part of a series of brief country profiles for the EU-28 ahead of the European elections in May. Romania, together with Bulgaria, missed the first wave of the EU’s eastward expansion in 2004. The two joined the...
Victor Ponta: The ruling PSD in Romania is becoming like Fidesz
In a wide-ranging interview, the former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has founded a new centre-left force, Pro-Romania, doesn’t mince his words criticising his former party, the ruling PSD. The Party of European Socialists (PES) should, if necessary, show PSD the red card, he says.
Romania’s Commissioner and former PM quit ruling Social Democrats
Former prime minister Mihai Tudose has followed Commissioner Corina Crețu quitting Romania's ruling Social Democrats (PSD) further weakening the parliamentary grip of the party and its leader, Liviu Dragnea.
Romania in political mayhem three weeks before assuming EU presidency
In an almost surreal sequence of events, the Romanian government paid a visit to the European Commission on Wednesday (5 December) to discuss the country’s upcoming EU presidency, while the opposition in Bucharest mobilised to oust the ruling coalition.
Disappointed by socialist establishment, Romania’s Ponta starts new party
Romania’s Former Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has left the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) and established his own ProRomania party, blamed EU socialist leaders (PES) for their "guilty silence" over the grave breaches of rule of law by the Romanian government.
Romania’s former EU Commissioner starts new political party
Romania's former EU Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Cioloș, who also briefly headed a technocratic government in 2016, has started a new political party just as the country gears up for presidential elections next year and parliamentary elections in 2020.
Romania’s fake news fuels Euroscepticism
Dogs paid to demonstrate against the government. A deadly nightclub fire ordered by an American billionaire. So-called "fake news" is prospering in Romania, fuelling Euroscepticism in the former communist country.
The Brief: Commission’s socialists shun Bucharest after corruption scandal
Bucharest thumbed its nose at the European Commission last night. It bypassed its parliament to issue an emergency decree sparing politicians prosecution for illegally pocketing cash, just a week after the executive praised the country's fight against corruption.
Former Romanian MP among Europol’s ‘Most Wanted’
Romanian businessman and politician Sebastian Ghita has been named on Europol’s most wanted fugitive list in relation to a number of high-profile corruption cases, one of which involves former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. EURACTIV Romania reports.
Romanian MEP: National reputation at risk over 2019 EU presidency plans
Romanian MEP Cristian Preda has denounced his country’s planned coordination of its stint holding the EU rotating presidency in 2019, insisting Romania’s reputation in Brussels will suffer greatly. EURACTIV Romania reports.
Romanian PM hails decade of EU membership as time in office ends
Former European Commissioner and outgoing Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş has hailed his country’s decade of EU membership as a period of growth, development and consolidation of democracy. EURACTIV Romania reports.
Romania readies itself for first female and first Muslim prime minister
Romania could appoint its first female and first Muslim prime minister after the Social Democratic Party (PSD) put its support behind Sevil Shhaideh, in a shock move following the Eastern European country's 11 December elections. EURACTIV Romania reports.
Graft-tainted Romanian left eyes election comeback
Romania's corruption-tainted left is forecast to stage a comeback in elections on Sunday (11 December), a year after public anger over a deadly nightclub fire forced it from office.
EU should recognise Romania as bulwark against Russian expansionism
Moldova and Bulgaria recently joined Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic in electing leaders with strong ties to the Kremlin. Romania remains the last pro-European bastion, writes Nicolas Tenzer.
Romanian PM praises work of ‘zero government’
Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş has marked the completion of his first year in office by labelling his technocratic cabinet a “zero government”: “zero corruption, zero populism and zero lies”, in a barb aimed directly at his critics. EURACTIV Romania reports.
Socialist leader: Romanian president will disregard election result
Ahead of the parliamentary elections to be held on 11 December, Liviu Dragnea, leader of the Romanian socialist party, warned of an "undemocratic" move by centre-right President Iohannis, who according to Dragnea, voiced his intention of nominating Dacian Cioloş for another mandate as Prime Minister, regardless of the election results.
Romania’s judicial reforms: A case study for future member states
Nine years after joining the EU, Romania is continuing its fight against corruption, as well as tackling the challenge of recovering the proceeds of crime. Experts say that its judicial reform experience could serve as an example to future EU member states. EURACTIV Romania reports.
Romanian PM dismisses tax chiefs over EU funds fraud inquiry
Romania's prime minister sacked the head of the tax authority and his deputy on Thursday (11 September), a day after anti-corruption prosecutors said they were being investigated as part of a probe into the misappropriation of European funds.
€250 billion Romania-Russia Tupolev deal dead in the water
An agreement between Bucharest and Moscow to construct an aircraft factory and airport in Romania has been scuppered by allegations of money laundering at an international level. The architect of the deal’s chequered past has also come to light. EURACTIV Romania reports.
Romanian ex-minister’s immunity lifted in latest graft probe
The Romanian Senate on Wednesday (3 February) lifted the immunity of a former minister accused of abusing his powers to use police motorcade escorts, in the latest graft probe to hit the corruption-prone ex-Communist nation.
Romania praised in Commission report but Bulgaria damned
The Commission published today (27 January) its yearly reports on Romania and Bulgaria, the only two EU countries monitored in their efforts to improve their law-enforcement systems and to combat corruption. Romania’s report is positive, for a second consecutive year.