PSD Leader Liviu Dragnea “Overwhelmed and Content” with Election Result
Liviu Dragnea, head of the Social Democratic Party, which gained the most votes in Sunday’s parliamentary election, said he is overwhelmed by and content with the result.
He said all the party’s campaign promises would be kept by a future social democrat government.
Social Democratic Party is credited with around 45% of the votes cast in Sunday’s poll, followed by liberals with around 20% and USR with around 10%. (Adevarul)
Leftist Social Democrats Earn Biggest Score in Romania Parliamentary Election
Romania’s leftist Social Democratic Party is credited with around 45% of the votes cast in Sunday’s parliamentary election and is likely to form the country’s next government.
Exit polls showed liberals garnered over 20% of the vote, while USR, a new party on the country’s political scene, garnered around 10%.
Voter turnout throughout the country averaged at little under 40%. (Puterea)
Italy, Germany, UK Are Romanians’ Preferred Destinations for Year-End Trips
Romanians seeking to spend Christmas and New Year’s abroad have Italy, Germany and the UK among their preferred destinations, according to independent travel search engine momondo.ro.
Compared with last year in the same period, most searches from Romania targeted similar international destinations, but the number of searches has grown.
Italy has the remained the top destination for Romanians, with 66% more searches than in winter 2015. Germany ranks second, overtaking Spain, which was the second preferred destination last year.
Outside of Europe, Romanians also seek to spend winter holidays in more exotic destinations such as Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. (Puterea)
Romanian Transgaz Interested in Greek Gas Grid Operator
Romania could control one of the key points on the route of future natural gas transport pipelines in Europe as Transgaz seeks to buy the majority stake in Greece’s gas grid operator.
Transgaz has expressed interest in acquiring a 66% stake in Greek gas grid operator DESFA, Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported. Talks with Romania’s Transgaz reportedly started after a breakdown in talks between Athens and Azeri state company SOCAR.
The paper quotes sources saying that last week Transgaz officials visited DESFA’s co-owner Hellenic Petroleum as well as Energy Minister Giorgos Stathakis and expressed their interest in a stake in the Greek gas grid operator. The representatives of the Romanian company told the Greek side that they intend to pay a similar amount to what Socar had pledged (EUR400 million), dubbing it reasonable and feasible. They added that they are already in talks with European banks which are ready to finance this Romanian investment in Greece.
Transgaz plays a vital role in the development of infrastructure for the interconnection of the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe, and supports the implementation of the so-called “Vertical Corridor” seen linking the systems of Romania, Hungary, Austria, Bulgaria and Greece, allowing for the transmission of natural gas from the Caspian region and other sources to Central Europe. (Adevarul)