National Press Review June 1

“Overcharging public employees – between yes and no”, Jurnalul Național notes, after presenting the opinions of the leaders of the Liberal Social Union(USL) concerning the Prime Minister’s initiative to increase the income tax for revenues exceeding 4,500 lei by sixteen per cent.

The article stresses that the “Prime Minister Ponta wants solidarity”, but the measure which is not seen positively neither within the party nor outside it.

The liberals believe that this course of action is not appropriate, and the set limit is unrealistic, while members of the opposition estimate that higher taxation will deepen the effects of the crisis.

“What does Mircea Diaconu, the Ministry of Culture, have to hide?” is the question asked by România Liberã. The publication cites legal sources according to which Mircea Diaconu, already accused of conflict of interests, has tried to withhold information from the inspectors of the National Integrity Agency, such as the fact that, as manager of the Notarra theatre, he had concluded three other contracts with his wife.

Another aspect analysed by the newspaper is the Ministry’s absence at the hearings and the explanations he has given the press.

“House prices are in a bottomless pit” – this is how Evenimentul Zilei describes the market value of real estate since the crisis outbreak. The article also offers several examples in Bucharest. The journalists have spoken to experts in the field, who believe that this tendency will continue and list, among the identified causes, the turbulent economic environment, the lack of bank financing and low purchasing power.

“Queen Elisabeth II - the story of a true symbol”. “Sixty years of reign”, the weekend edition of Adevãrul notes.

On the British Monarch’s diamond jubilee, the newspaper suggests several alternative stories of the life of one of the most popular contemporary personalities.

These stories include unpublished details from the pre-reign and after-reign periods, which have led to an unprecedented popularity of the British Monarchy.

The Romanian Royal House is also mentioned in the pages of the article, and is represented by her Highness Princess Margarita, the 91st successor to the throne of Great Britain.

Translated by:
Cristina Baciu, MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University