National Press Review, 24 January

In the România Liberă: ‘First concessions party in power makes to protesters. What's next?’ Political analysts believe that government representatives will loosen the strings, but not so loose as to raise pensions and wages. After the dismissal of Foreign Minister Baconschi, the coalition is discussing about fiving up to consistent sources of revenue to the state budget: delaying the car tax and the tax aminstia for 300 000 budgetary workers. So far, small concessions only.

No major change has occurred after the great debate in Parliament: Government Boc has not resigned, senators and deputies of the Opposition are not submitting their mandates. Each of them is praying to preserve their position, according to the România Liberă.

On the front page in the Adevărul ‘Dirty barter between Boc and Revolution profiteers. Government tries to buy its peace with our money.’ In order to tame the revolutionaries, the party in power has engaged in returning them the allowances recently canceled and even offers them larger sums.

Victor Ponta promised that if he were to become the next president, he would take back ‘the money earned dishonestly’ from the revolutionaries.

The Jurnalul Naţional writes that ‘One by one, Băsescu and government have tried unsuccessfully to buy protesters’ goodwill’ and to send them home.

Baconschi – slaughtered, as he is guilty for the epithets with which he interlards his artistic work on the blog.

We read about the lack of consequences of the extraordinary meeting in the Evenimentul Zilei: ‘USL shouted “Down with the Government” ‘and only Baconschi fell’.

In the plenary, the party in power is fighting the opposition and within the USL, PSD and PNL are fighting each other: in order to force the fall of the government, the liberals are struggling to convince the social democrats to resign from the Parliament.

The Ziarul Financiar writes about the manifestations, opinions from the business environment,: ‘Every day of protest means weaker economy.’ Businessmen require politicians to be consistent in their decisions, so that protests could not affect the economy. A solution must come as soon as possible, no matter from what direction.

Returning to yesterday's concessions, now that the car tax payment has been delayed, following the proposal of Minister of Environment László Borbély, this could be the last year in which we can buy a cheap second-hand car, according to the Evenimentul Zilei.

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