National Press Review, May 14

“Taxation of wages in three stages and decrease in the contributions to social health insurance, starting with 2013” - Jurnalul Naţional writes with regard to the plans of the Ponta government for the future.

The author of the article offers details on the Prime Minister’s statements given yesterday for a private TV channel, about his objective to introduce the progressive tax and reduce the social health insurance contributions of employees.

The article also presents the Chief Executive’s view on wage increases announced for the year in progress, as well as on pensioners recovering the money deducted for social health insurance contributions. The government plans to apply these measures, even if they imply cutting back funding for procurements and travelling abroad.

România Liberă attempts to answer the question: "How will the Ponta government play the anticorruption card?". The publication notes that, after the current Executive was instated, the Great Britain and Germany embassies announced it was in Romania’s best interest to keep monitoring the Justice department, and that, in this respect, they would oversee the implementation of the National Anticorruption Strategy.

The newspaper lists the provisions of this Strategy and comments that the British and German officials’ statements on this topic are a message for the Liberal Social Union announcing the monitoring of proposals for the leadership of the National Anticorruption Department, since the term of the head of this institution, Daniel Morar, ends in July, right after the European Commission discloses its final report on Romania.

Adevărul describes Brussels’ economic projections, according to which "Romania will experience a solid economic increase in 2012 and 2013". Adevărul presents the European Commission’s estimates on a potential increase of the Gross Domestic Product so as to achieve the EU level set out for the year in progress, as well as for the coming year. In this respect, Poland holds the record.

As for Romania, the authorities in Brussels believe that the internal request and a better absorption of EU funds will determine a significant GDP increase.

Another matter of interest for Adevărul is the "Impressive leap toward the Olympic Games", referring to the Romania women’s gymnastics team , who have won six medals at the European Championships in Brussels. The newspaper estimates that the Romanian team is among the favourites to win gold at the Olympic Games which will be held in London, starting on July 27.

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