National Press Review, 24 February

‘The prices of gas and diesel will increase again in a few days’ –the Gândul announces. The news was broke yesterday by the company’s officials. It seems that, this time, Romanian drivers will pay more because of the conflict in North Africa and the Middle East, which caused the oil price worldwide to reach a record level.

Last year the price of diesel increased with 24 percent per litre and the price of gas increased with 20 percent per litre, and none had anything to do with the international oil price. Why wouldn’t they do it now, when they also have a reason?!

The same newspaper reassures us, however, and reminds us that about two months ago, Prime Minister Emil Boc asked the Competition Council to conduct further checks on the fuel market in order to identify monopoly cases.

‘We must encourage work, not consumption’ – the remark, belonging to the National Bank Governor Mugur Isărescu, was delivered yesterday and was printed by most of today’s newspapers.

We need to stimulate investment and job creation, we need to increase productivity and flexibility on the labour market, but also reduce the tax burden, especially for companies – recommended Isărescu, quoted by the Jurnalul Naţional.

‘We don’t have to be as strict as in the 80’s, but neither should we spend as much as during the boom before the crisis’ – the governor also advices, according to the Evenimentul Zilei.

The same newspaper writes about the emergence of several illegal constructions in national parks, which have the status of protected areas where real estate investments are not allowed.

The newspaper found out that the Liberal Democrats, under the pressure of some local barons, is preparing an amendment to the law regarding protected areas, which will allow certain constructions and investments.

‘In 2009, the state “illegally”spent ten billion euros’ –a report of the Court of auditors, quoted by the Gândul, reveals. The Court’s inspectors have drawn the attention on almost 6,000 cases of breaches in respecting the law on public spending.

A few examples of such actions, which prejudiced the budget: pensions and social aid granted illegally, bonuses and perks given by the Ministry of Finance without a solid legal ground, illegal mining of uranium; also, at the Ministry of Exterior five people benefited of illegal bonuses summing up to a million euros and huge amounts of money were spent on rented houses, while there were free apartments at the embassy premises.

The Court of auditors found many illegalities at the National Roads Company and Romanian Rail Roads Company.

The România Liberă reveals the backstage of an older affair, which prejudiced the state with over 8 million euros.

The newspaper writes about the decision taken yesterday by the National Anit-corruption Directorate to investigate two former ministers, Dan Nica – the Social Democratic Party and Varujan Vosganian – the National Liberal Party, for work abuse in the so-called file ‘The Post’, where the state (namely the Romanian Post) withdrew ownership of a property for the benefit of a private company.

Back to the Gândul, we learn about ‘The fortune of Bercea Mondialul: 8 illegal palaces and 120 criminal files’. It is happening in Romania.

The same topic on the front page of the Adevărul. Quote from the newspaper: ‘Prosecutor at the service of Bercea Worldwide. 119 files and no case. This is a balanced achieved with the contribution of the prosecutors working for Bercea’s files.

His lawyers based their arguments on the repeated decisions to seize the prosecution against their client, coming from prosecutors in the Olt area. He was never convicted, so Bercea now poses as a model citizen in front of the court.’

Translated by: Manuela Stancu

MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University