Bucharest, Jan 16 (IANS) Romania’s presidential elections will take place on May 4, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Thursday.
Partial local elections will be held on the same day for positions including the leadership of a county council, a county capital city, three towns, and 13 communes, Ciolacu said during a government meeting.
The government has approved new measures to ensure fair competition during the elections, including regulations aimed at preventing favouritism by social media platforms. Companies found violating the rules could face fines of up to 5 per cent of their turnover, potentially amounting to billions of euros for larger corporations.
Romania’s ruling coalition agreed on January 8 to conduct a two-round presidential election on May 4 and May 18. The coalition has reaffirmed its plan to endorse a single candidate for the presidency.
The pro-European coalition government, comprising the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), and the national minorities, was sworn in last December, ending a month of political uncertainty marked by the annulment of Presidential election results.
Despite the difficulties ahead, Ciolacu had expressed confidence in his government’s potential. “I trust all the members of this team. They are people with great experience and solid professional expertise,” said Ciolacu, who also leads the PSD.
He emphasised the benefits of political stability, noting that Romania’s borrowing rates on international markets had already begun to drop following the Parliamentary vote, Xinhua news agency reported.
Ciolacu’s cabinet consists of the Prime Minister, 16 ministers, and three deputy Prime Ministers — one from PSD without portfolio, and two with portfolios from PNL and UDMR.
He had added that he would not run for any position in future PSD leadership elections.
–IANS
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