National Press Review, 16 May

All newspapers today comment on the results of the internal Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) elections, the success of the ‘Museums’ White Night’ and, externally, the sex scandal involving ‘number one’ of the International Monetary Fund’.

‘The plan for the DLP’ is the title in the România Liberă. Several politicians supported by Traian Băsescu have been elected at the leadership of the party: Boc, Baconschi, Macovei, Voinescu and Paleologu. The debate upon the replacement of Emil Boc in the Government remains open – the daily newspaper adds.

This point is also underline by the other newspapers of the day, since the titles. The Jurnalul Naţional: ‘Winner Boc expected to resign’; ‘Boc: victory in the PDL, on the wire at the Government’, the Adevărul states; ‘How long will Boc last?’, the Evenimentul Zilei asks.

The party goes forward with Emil Boc, but takes into consideration his retirement from the Government to have a chance in next year’s elections.

But what are the options? The Evenimentul Zilei as well publishes an extended interview with the presidential counselor Sebastian Lăzăroiu, who reviews the priorities of the government, in his opinion: ‘Technocrat Prime Minister, the reshuffling of the economic ministries, the restructuring of utilities’.

According to the Adevărul, other political analysts are treating with reservations the version of the replacement of Emil Boc with a technocrat Prime Minister, who would save the party from the fall in polls.

Firstly Emil Boc is not the only at fault for the negative image of the PDL, an analyst states. Moreover, all the necessary votes to validate the new Prime Minister and his team will be obtained with great difficulty in the Parliament; the majority in the Senate has already changed.

Newspapers in Bucharest also read today on the arrest for sexual harassment of the IMF Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The România Liberă brands the event as ‘shocking for the IMF and the French left’, as the brilliant career of Strauss-Kahn in the Fund could have culminated next year with a triumph in the presidential French elections. The Jurnalul Naţional also underlines this idea: ‘Sarkozy gets rid of a rival at Elysee’.

Today’s press also comments on the success the ‘Museums’ Night’ had in the weekend. The reporter of the România Liberă says he went around Bucharest …on his bike. In 8 hours he covered 50 kilometres, saw 23 museums, huge queues and many young people enthusiastic to learn new things.

The Bellu cemetery, included for the first time in the program, like a true great outdoor museum, has attracted thousands of visitors.

Ten thousand, the Adevărul reads under the title ‘Candle light culture’, and the Jurnalul Naţional notes that the Bellu Cemetery, which he calls ‘the garden of souls’, has joint the other significant cemeteries in Europe. According to many visitors, given how many unique monuments Bellu hosts one night only is not enough.


Translated by: Manuela Stancu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University