National Press Review, 16 January

The România Liberă asks 'Street protests spread throughout Romania. What will they change?'

'Hundreds or thousands of people, according to information coming from political sources, protested in the streets. Beyond the reasons and excuses, the question arises: who gains out of protests and especially out of their degeneracy?'

Most of those who gathered in the University Square said they were dissatisfied with low wages, pensions, living conditions, lack of jobs, the car tax. Therefore, they demanded the resignation of the ones held responsible: the Boc Government and president Traian Băsescu. As expected, the opposition have expressed their solidarity with the protesters and re-emphasised the suspension of the president. In their statements, the opposition leaders show, however, how they are solving those problems that have determined the people to go out on the streets.

The Adevărul says that 'politicians put gas on the fire: Victor Ponta and Crin Antonescu called their sympathisers to attend the demonstrations anti-Băsescu during the violent acts.' The complaints of the demonstrators found a common denominator in 'allergy to Power'.

The Evenimentul Zilei blames the Opposition and the abusers for turning the protests in violent acts. Around the country, the meetings were animated by the Opposition leaders and by the extremists of local teams galleries that were immediately joined by famous impostors of major cities, according to the Evenimentul Zilei journalists.

With another point of view, the Jurnalul Naţional: 'Several thousand people gave a great lesson of civics, dignity and common sense to the Romanian President.' The newspaper resumed on the front-page as title Băsescu's remark: 'Who do you think leaves? Guess my riddle?' The Jurnalul National makes the chronology of the events: 'The chronicle of a unannounced revolt'. Protesters started from 'respect for Raed Arafat' and reached to 'Aversion towards Băsescu'. Regarding the hooligans attending the meetings, the Jurnalul Național asks: 'If the football fans were the ones protesting, where are those agreeing with the Basescu regime?'

Going back to the spark that ignited the demonstrations, the health reform, the Ziarul Financiar writes that 'The draft law came and left, but 6 billion euros are wasted in health care annually.' The tension generated by the health care reform reached its maximum rates, but the government is virtually absent from the debates.

This proves, the journalists write, the incapacity of the initiators to support their draft and the lack of communication with the public opinion. The president said that the system is inefficient. But who is to blame for inefficiency and corruption? Those who are paid from public money to manage efficiently, meaning the president, the government, the health house?
Also in the Ziarul Financiar we learn about another fact: 'Standard & Poor's raises financing Romania by downgrading the euro area countries'. The rating agency did not downgrade us as well, whereas we are not bypassed by its effects: the euro funding costs could increase and the leu-euro exchange could become more volatile.

The Ziarul Financiar sees a good side: Romania's opportunity to differentiate itself in the eyes of investors as a better environment than others. The condition is that protest movements to not extend, otherwise they would form a perception of instability.

Translated by: Iulia Florescu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University