National Press Review, December 7

The Evenimentul Zilei reads: "A one-year leave present for mums on Saint Nicholas Day". President Traian Băsescu attended only for a few minute the meeting of the Coalition leaders, and, according to the newspapers, that was enough for Premier Emil Boc to forget about the agreement regarding the 24-month maternity leave plan, which had been concluded one day before.

The Gândul reads: "Giving birth after January 1st gets you a one-year leave".

The amended law does not apply to present beneficiaries, adds the newspaper.

The other measure coming into effect on January 1st, according to which all pensioners must pay health insurance contributions, made the front page in the România Liberă and the Jurnalul Naţional .

This decision was taken a year ago, and not yesterday, headlines the România Liberă. A government ordinance, issued a year ago and voted by the Senate, requires pensioners, with an income below RON 1000, to pay health insurance contributions, although few politicians remember it.

The Jurnalul Naţional reads: "Small pensions will be charged". The health insurance 5.5 percentage will not affect, for the time being, the pensions below RON 700, for electoral reasons, states the newspaper.

Today"s newspapers also comment on the confession-movie which former PSD candidate for presidency Mircea Geoană posted on his blog.

According to the România Liberă, Mircea Geoană admits to having gone to Sorin Ovidiu Vântu"s house one night before the final debate to find out what questions talk-show host Robert Turcescu was going to ask him the following day.

Mircea Geoană says that he was well aware that Traian Băsescu had been informed about the "topics", adds the Gândul.

Both newspapers quote that any connection to the businessman ceased afterwards.

The Adevărul publishes today on its front page "The Romanian crises map", "drawn" on the basis of the data provided by the National Statistics Institute.

The poverty rate has plummeted especially in South-East Romania; the economic gap between Moldova and Ardeal has widened.

14 counties are struggling with poverty, and 20 are on the edge of the abyss.

Only 6 counties, along with the City Capital are on the green side of the map in the Adevărul, which means that they are coping with the crises.

From west to east: Timiş, Gorj, Cluj, Sibiu, Braşov and Constanţa.

Translated by Raluca Mizdrea and Ciocănel Tudor
MA Students, MTTLC, Bucharest University