National Press Review July 20

"Change the switch in the BNR policy? Exchange rates up , interests on the national currency(lei) down? ", asks Ziarul Financiar. This combination has been extended for several days.

Has really BNR decided to listen to the recent indications received from the IMF to allow the exchange rate more freely. Or other causes? In the newspaper we read opinions of some specialists on the rate development.

România Liberă tells us that "the credit law might change after the last decisions of Justice". Following the trials that have been developed by many clients against the banks that have taken loans, judges have ordered the removal of terms relating to certain commissions and allowing the flat interest rate becomes variable. Normally, it would require the amendment of the law in order to avoid an avalanche of lawsuits, considers the daily newspaper.

"Rules for the referendum, again questioning", we also read in România Liberă.

Dissatisfied with the extension of the vote programme, Democrat-Liberals resort again to the CCR arbitration. The judges will rule with only five days before the vote and a verdict in PDL’s favour would upset again the situation.

Adevărul sees PDL into a "dilemma: whether or not to boycott the vote". Officially, the party leaders do not contradict President Traian Băsescu's option to call Romanians to vote. Unofficially they sent in the territory a message to boycott of the referendum, told the newspaper.

The temptation is great, because, according to reckonings, if the Liberal-Democratic electorate would not submit, it would be a participation of about 45 percent.

Evenimentul Zilei wrote that "non-participation would be a form of protest against USL abuses. Journalists have found that in the last week appeared on blogs and Facebook a favourable current for boycotting. The daily considers raising for the turnout is the problem of the Social-Liberal Union, which is seen in the paradoxical situation to persuade his supporters to vote for Băsescu.

On the front page of Jurnalul Naţional recalls what the President suspended said in 2007: "placing an artificial threshold of 50 percent plus one of the electorate to validate a referendum shows the discrimination that politicians practice when Romanian citizens are called to vote against their own interest, but in the interests of Romanians".

Also in Jurnalul Naţional we can read: "Illegal phone line for Traian Băsescu".

Senators from the Defence Commission say that the president suspended cannot benefit from a special telephone line at the campaign headquarters in Comăniţa Street. Special telecommunications Service head claims to have complied with the procedures, but he cannot present them because they are classified.

"What lies behind the entries in a short time to universities ? Evenimentul Zilei said that "Despair of higher education institutions to occupy all the places" that otherwise would remain with vacancies due to young people who enroll at several faculties.

The result was that the undecided or those who have failed to catch up quickly with the records to sign up had no chance.

Translated by
Denisse-Meda Bucura
MTTLC, Bucharest University