National Press Review, June 11

“The Liberal Democratic Party evicted from the Capital” is the first page headline from ADEVÃRUL, stating that Liviu Negoiţă from sector 3 and Cristian Poteraș from sector 6 – the “last representatives of the orange” in Bucharest – have lost to the Liberal Social Union candidates. The publication notes that, apart from victory in five of the Capital’s sectors, the exit polls show that the Liberal Social Union has won in most of the large towns of the country. We also find a detailed list of the numbers collected nationwide by polls taken by several television channels after voters left the room. These polls are different, depending on the source, which is why the overall results for Cluj-Napoca are inconclusive, as Marius Nicoară, representing the Liberal Social Union and Emil Boc, member of the Liberal Democratic Party recorded very similar percentages. The newspaper has not overlooked yesterday’s events during the voting process.

Tackling the same issue, JURNALUL NAŢIONAL claims that over nine hundred electoral incidents were reported yesterday, 345 of which have been confirmed, 150 of which are considered criminal acts. The publication offers detailed descriptions of cases in several regions of the country, as well as from Bucharest.

ROMÂNIA LIBERĂ analyses the “Stakes of the first single-round vote”. The author of the article notes that the president of the county council decides almost everything that happens county-wise, especially on a financial level, while the mayor plays a key part in both the parliamentary and presidential elections. Beyond these obvious reasons underlining the importance of yesterday’s elections, there are additional aspects to be taken into account by the parties, some of which concern internal battles, but also changes in the relationships among parties.

EVENIMENTUL ZILEI presents an exclusive interview with political analyst Ion Cristoiu, who thinks that neither voters nor the elected have changed considerably in the last 22 years. The impact of local elections on the internal and external life of political parties, doubling the Liberal Social Union’s victory in the general elections, and the single-round election system are only a few of the issues discussed by Ion Cristoiu.

On a change of topic, ADEVĂRUL reveals that “Romania is Europe’s slacker when it comes to expenditure on health”. According to a recent report, which includes a classification on the subject, our country’s expenditure in this department is the lowest in Europe, as opposed to first runner-up, France. We also read about the effects of insufficient funds for the healthcare system on the population, and we find out the causes of some discrepancies within the system.

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