National Press Review, 25 December

How can one not to lose ones savings in times of economic crisis, when even the once safe investments have now become risky. In the România Liberă we read about what experts advise us to do in order to lower these risks. A first tip: chose solid banks which BNR would never allow to collapse.

A welcomed advice if we take into account "the fall of Austria’s banking empire", as the Adevărul writes. After the Austrian National Bank recommended limiting the financing in the region, Austrian banks are terrifying Eastern Europe.

The head of the Romanian branch of the Raiffeisen bank has assured us that "at first site there will be no consequences for Romania" whilst the representative of another large bank, Romanian Commercial Bank (BCR) part of the Erste Group in Austria, admitted that they are under high pressure from their mother company.

The president Traian Băsescu reacted in a very harsh manner: if, after having obtained huge profits on the Romanian market, Austrian banks want to withdraw their financing, they will prove that they lack the notion of fair play.

In the Ziarul Financiar, again on the chief of state’s comment: "You’ve requested the privatisation of Romanian banking system, and now you want to take away the financing" Traian Băsescu says and expresses his hope that we will not be held responsible for "the greed and lack of responsibility banks are accountable for ever since they started approving loans based on ID cards only".

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development also criticizes the Austrians for scaring away the investors in the region.

Articles on the new healthcare law can be found today as well. The Adevărul writes "Revolution in the healthcare system" and points out the main changes, what is included in the basic package of health services and how to choose the private health insurance companies.

The recent scandal in Germany on the antibiotic pumpped chicken echoes here too. The Evenimentul Zilei comes up today with the "Diary of a chicken killed at the age of 29 days". Find out from a farmer what the birds are fed in order to grow from 30 grams to 1 kilogram in only two weeks. Doctors reassure us by saying that they are not given any toxic mixture.

The front page in the Jurnalul Naţional, headlines: "Geoană, nightwatch over our vegetables. He has started a ’riot’ at the local community home". Jurnalul considers that the long-expected sansational statement was in the end nothing but a bunch of party lines that worked really well in the local community homes.

The Adevărul describes Mircea Geoană’s speach in the small village of Dăbuleni, where he was wormly welcomed by the villagers, in a totally different manner: the new political project was licked into shape! Geoană said "Today at Dăbuleni, tomorrow everywhere!" and invited "the better part of the current political parties" into the new building.

And from the Evenimentul Zilei we find out that three chiefs of the local district councils "plan on leaving the Democratic Social Party (PSD)", discontent with the way in which Victor Ponta exerts his authority. For now, they are waiting to see where Mircea Geoană’s intent of creating a new political party will lead.


Translated by:Mihaela Melneciuc
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University