National Press Review, 15 March

‘Japan hit by three disasters’, the Jurnalul Naţional writes. Firstly, by the apocalyptic earthquake. Secondly, by the wave that washed out the costs and now the Japanese people are living in the fear of their own Chernobyl experience.

‘Japanese beaches a giant cemetery’, the Adevărul writes. The coasts look as if a nuclear bomb would have rained down on them. Still, despite the tragedy, the Japanese people are calm, polite and have the strength to even smile - the special correspondents sent to Tokyo report.

The România Liberă introduces ‘the people who would save Romanians in the event of a disaster’. Little people know that there are almost 10 000 volunteers in Romania that have been preparing for years to search and save survivors from major earthquakes. In the event of a disaster their mission would be to look for the victims and provide first aid.

As for Japan’s problems with nuclear power plants, they remind us that Romania has its own nuclear power plant. The Evenimentul Zilei writes that ‘European Union asks Romania to increase safety measures at Cernavodă Power Plant.’

The European officials demand higher safety standards at the 3 and 4 reactors, as far as the resistance to earthquake is regarded.

Under the headline ‘How would Cernavodă power plant resist an earthquake similar to the one in Japan’, the Gândul writes that the European Commission wants to know how prepared the countries housing nuclear power plants are to face a situation similar to the one Japan is coping with at present.

Regarding the national political landscape, newspapers write about the moves the party in power, the National Liberal Party (PDL), has made two months before the leader of the formation will be decided during a congress. ‘Battle for power: Boc versus Blaga’, the Evenimentul Zilei writes. Emil Boc is relying on the influence of Elena Udrea. However, most leaders are ready to support Vasile Blaga’ – the newspaper points out.

The Adevărul writes ‘Orange Romania breaks in two, Boc and Blaga’, while the Gândul publishes the analysis under the headline ‘New power map in PDL – Boc and Blaga share party’.

Today’s newspapers inform readers on the grades that the son of the ‘king of the asphalt roads’ in Bacău received, after his father promised that he would asphalt... the schoolyard (the Adevărul), on the three Facebook accounts, all fake, registered on the name of Patriarch Daniel (the Gândul) and on how the commercial centres around the capital city are used to siphon millions of money to finance cross-border organised crime networks (the România Liberă).

Translated by: Raluca Mizdrea
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University