Romania

Listen to this BosNewsLife report via Vatican Radio    By BosNewsLife News Center with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos BUDAPEST/BUCHAREST (BosNewsLife) Romania's Parliament has sworn in the first ethnic German as president of the former Communist nation, at a time when the country remembers the 25th anniversary of a bloody revolution that ended decades of Communist dictatorship. Former mayor Klaus Iohannis promised a different style from the combative outgoing president Traian Basescu

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (BosNewsLife)-- For the first time since communism collapsed in Romania 25 years ago, a former prison commander went on trial Monday, July 14, for crimes against humanity because of his alleged involvement in persecuting opponents of the previously regime. The proceedings follow the death of a close ally of late Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who persecuted thousands including devoted Christians.

(Following is a report first published by BosNewsLife September 25, 2009, which prompted many reactions. Amid a fresh discussion on migration in Europe, and whether or not Romania and Bulgaria should join the EU's passport-free Schengen zone, the theme remains very actual). By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Key non-governmental groups and officials have urged the European Union to urgently tackle the "growing problem" of street children moving from Eastern to Western Europe, by improving cross-border cooperation and child protection.

Listen to this BosNewsLife News story via Vatican Radio: By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUCHAREST/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- A man who led one of Romania's most notorious prisons during the Communist-era, Alexander Visinescu, has been indicted for genocide. It is the first such charge since the 1989 revolution, which saw the execution of Romania's Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu.

Listen to the BosNewsLife News report via Vatican Radio:  By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUCHAREST/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Official results show Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta's center-left alliance has won a clear victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections with about 57 percent of the vote. The outcome puts him in a strong position in an ongoing power struggle with the rightist president.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST/BUCHAREST (BosNewsLife)-- Romania has been rocked by political turmoil after parliament suspended President Traian Basescu from office, paving the way for a referendum on his future later this month. The procedure comes despite European Union and U.S. concerns over the status of democracy in the former communist nation.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Key non-governmental groups and officials have urged the European Union to urgently tackle the "growing problem" of street children moving from Eastern to Western Europe, by improving cross-border cooperation and child protection.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Romania and Hungary are among several former Communist nations of the European Union facing social and political turmoil, as the EU and other Western institutions demand far reaching political and austerity measures in exchange for multi-billion dollar financial assistance. The resulting tensions have revived a debate over how much sovereignty eastern EU members should give up, more than two decades after freeing themselves from the Soviet Union's sphere of influence.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary on Monday, June 20, condemned an attack on a Catholic theological institute in neighboring Romania that left its ethnic Hungarian rector briefly unconsciousness.