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Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said Thursday his minority Liberal government would seek parliamentary support to change the system of voting in local elections, reverting to two rounds of voting which would give mayors greater legitimacy.  Orban said he would seek parliamentary support for his proposal. If parliament rejects two successive proposals from the prime minister within...

She was unpopular with the former Social Democrat-led government and their allies, but former chief anti-corruption prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi is appreciated in Europe for her efforts to tackle graft at the highest levels of the Romanian state. Kovesi, who was recently appointed Chief EU Public Prosecutor, has been awarded the “Woman in...

Romanian authorities have evacuated residents from 200 apartments in building in the southwest city of Timisoara after three people died and six were hospitalized after the building was treated with pesticide. A 10-day-old infant, a three-year-old child and his 29-year-old mother have died, authorities quoted by news.ro reported Monday. Reports say...

Rokmania's Environment Minister Costel Alexe expressed outrage about the case of an injured bear that was left overnight at the side of the road after it was hit by a car. The story of the bear that was left in agony as officials dithered about what do dominated the news over the weekend and evoked furious...

Romania’s top court has given the green light to a law that bans aggressive dogs in public without a lead and a muzzle. The Constitutional Court debated the constitutionality of the law on Tuesday and approved the legislation by a majority. The law defines aggressive as being “any...

More than 50 courts in Romania have voted to disband a special section tasked with investigating magistrates established by the former Social Democrat-led government that sparked widespread criticism about assaults on the independence of the justice system. The investigative agency, the Section for the Investigation of Criminal Offenses in the judiciary, was created...

Traffic jams and pollution have pushed some Romanians to opt for cycling as the most efficient way to get around crowded cities.   Now, the western city of Timisoara is about to  get the biggest bicycle assembly plant in southeastern Europe in a major development that will create hundreds of jobs in the area and potentially pave the...

Romania’s audiovisual council has voted to take away the license for struggling news station Realitatea TV, the country’s first news channel that started broadcasting in 2001. The post will go off air on Wednesday following a 6-4 vote by the National Audiovisual Council on Tuesday. The parent company Realitatea Media has...

Visitors trek to the small town of Turda in the heart of Transylvania for its salt mine and to hike to its gorge. But the town of 40,000 now finds itself on the map for another reason. In recent years, it has been turning into a regional hub for democracy and debate, a motor...

Romania was hit by a report on educational standards this week saying there was a steep decline in the math, reading and science levels of 15-year-olds. Amid the alarm, Universul.net takes a look why parents in Romania are increasingly sending their children to expensive private schools.   Critical thinking skills? Preparation for foreign universities? Focus...