National Press Review, 24 october

The Ziarul Financiar writes about the European Union summit that took place yesterday: "Brussels postpones decisions, tension rises. Romania seeks a shield". Our country must be prepared for the worst scenario, because the decisions made by Wednesday will either end the crisis or trigger a financial hurricane.

In the Bursa we read: "Crisis in Romania is primarily an internal one". This is the opinion of the Banat-Crişana SIF 1 President, Ioan Cuzman. Contrary to most analysts, he claims that the current problems are the result of some imbalances in the country: GDP is too small to ensure development and the Romanian economy has too few competitive areas where it is competitive.

"Intelligence operations against Romania have increased", the head of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), George Maior, says in an interview for the România Liberă. The interest of foreign agents in what happens in our country has increased especially after signing the Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement. In the interview, the head of SRI also speaks about the risks of Romania being engaged in a war and about the country's cyber predators.

Since tomorrow King Mihai is celebrating his 90th birthday, the Evenimentul Zilei aims to clarify with the help of historians, the most controversial moments in the life of the country's last monarch. In today's number, Alex Mihai Stoenescu and Adrian Cioroianu reveal spectacular aspects of the King's connections with the Iron Guard, about the secret negotiations in December 1947 and about his relation with Marshal Antonescu.

Also in the Evenimentul, other disclosures regarding the history of the country: "Americans wanted to save Ceauşescu", the former head of counterintelligence before '89, Filip Teodorescu says. He also says in an interview that Pacepa would be dead and he talks about an effective involvement of the French intelligence service in the Revolution, and not only then.

On the first page in the Adevărul: "West’s descent into barbarism". Gaddafi was humiliated and tortured before being executed. The new evidence and videos that have emerged are dreadful. "The acts are reprehensible, but it is hard to judge in such revolutionary and emotional moments", foreign policy expert Iulian Chifu writes in the newspaper, and notes that Romanians were not too meek either during the Revolution.

The Jurnalul Naţional also presents a "List of Shame": authorities and officials who helped "the velvet Gypsy clans" in Timişoara to take over 200 buildings in the historical city centre. It is about police officers, prosecutors, judges, notaries, bailiffs and on the top of the list journalists place the very mayor of Timişoara.

Translated by: Zoia Ciucu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University