NATO’s Romania slams Russia for ‘serious violation’ over drone

Romania reacted with fury on Wednesday after debris from a Russian drone was found on its territory near the Danube river, following Moscow’s assault on a Ukrainian port.

Russian drone debris landing in Romania would be “a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania,” the country’s President Klaus Iohannis said Wednesday.

Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr confirmed that pieces of the drone were discovered in the country, which is a member of the NATO military alliance.

Romania: second night of protests after 450 injured in clashes

Tens of thousands gathered in the Romanian capital Bucharest on Saturday for a second straight day of demonstrations after more than 450 people were hurt and around 30 arrested in a huge anti-corruption protest on Friday.

Police came in for criticism after they used water cannons and teargas to disperse protesters calling on the leftwing government to resign. Many demonstrators needed treatment after inhaling pepper spray and teargas, while others suffered blows, hospital sources said. About 30 police were also injured, 11 of whom were taken to hospital.

Romanians vote in the shadow of corruption

Romania’s parliamentary elections on Sunday will test the country’s determination to clean up its political system a year after public protests brought down the government of Victor Ponta.

The parliament is seen as one of the most corrupt institutions in the second poorest country in the EU. At least 29 of the 588 members elected in 2012 have been found guilty of criminal conduct or investigated by the National Anticorruption Directorate, says the Romanian Institute for Public Policies.

Romanian PM systematically abusing constitution, says EU

European authorities have waded into a brutal political feud transfixing Romania, accusing the prime minister, Victor Ponta, of systematic abuse of the country's constitution and undermining the rule of law in his campaign to unseat the country's president.

A 22-page report from the European commission highlighting Romania's failures to observe EU legal standards, obtained by the Guardian before being released on Wednesday, says the Ponta government has ignored the constitution, threatened judges, illegally removed officials from key posts, and tampered with the democratic system of checks and balances in order to try to secure the impeachment of President Traian Basescu.