National Press Review, November 16

Shoppings fights stress even in times of crisis! – this would be the explanation of the 250 thousans Romanians that have flocked to three shopping mall in the province, where they spent in a single night three million euros – we learn from the GÂNDUL.

Open stores at night, discounts and concerts: these are the solutions the malls across the country seek to bring people in shopping centers.

A simple calculation shows, however, that most of them have only admired the windows and enjoyed the special events designed by the organizers.

On average, each of the 250,000 Romanians have spent only 12 euros in the stores of the three shopping centers.

The Romanian’s ardent wish to be able to drive one day on highways has increasingly fewer chances of coming true.


From the ROMÂNIA LIBERĂ we learn that: ‘The Bechtel Highway takes a break.’ In 2011, the Highway Company will not pay Bechtel new Transylvania highway works.

The little money that they receive from the state will be used for the payments of some old debts of 2009.


Transferring the debts from one year to another, the absence of any clear policy from the Ministry of Transport towards this contract, as well as the lack of a clear working schedule cost Romania tens million euros per tear – the newspaper claims.

‘Polluters in the limbo, the waste outdoors,’ headlines the ADEVĂRUL.

Dozens of barrels of toxic substances are stored in the outskirts of Bucharest, on a land of Chitila.

Thousands of tons of waste, for which three businessmen have been arrested last month, still infest the capital’s outskirts.

The authorities have not been able to destroy the industrial waste so far, although the Environment Guard recognizes that these are very damaging to the soil and water. EU funds are still being expected.

30s nongovernmental organizations, supported by the capital’s mayor, Sorin Oprescu asks the deputies to save the parks – the JURNALUL NAŢIONAL writes.

A government ordinance is being debated in the Chamber and has been proposed for amendment, in the sense that it allows the modification of green areas. Thus, the parks and forests that have so far escaped the deforestation might soon become full blown sites.

‘Stop the unfair justice!’ demands the EVENIMENTUL ZILEI on the front page. For 20 years, a man from Bucharest struggles to rebuild the fortune which has been confiscated during the time of nationalization – a mansion, which has been demolished in the meantime and more land.


The hundreds of appearances in court have weakened his health.

During the 20 years since the trials have began, he learned that justice can be easily buried by the interests of the day’s supermen, that inconsistency is on the agenda of some instances, that postponement is a holy matter for local governments.

‘Dozens and dozens of trials, in Bucharest, Mizil, Ploieşti, Vălenii de Munte, I hire lawyers, I represent myself, with the hope that one day I will be returned at least a portion of the property confiscated by the communists.

It’s a struggle with a perverted system and with interest groups, with clans. The land is manipulated by obscure companies and they become a property of somebody who yesterday was nobody.

Fortunes are made, are granted, are sold, are appropriated or re-appropriated,’ says the Romanian who came to the end of the rope.

In the end, a terrible case, published by the ADEVĂRUL on the front page: ‘She died because the tomography is closed at weekends.’ It is about a 25 year old woman in Focsani, who has been an employee of the Criminal Prosecution Service of the Traffic Police of Vrancea, who died on Sunday, ten days after giving birth to a baby girl.

To be able to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctors needed a tomography. The Focsani Hospital tomography is broken for two years.

The hospital’s director has outsourced the tomography service because it was cheaper than repairing the same machine, received from the ministry. Unfortunately, the office where patients where sent for tomography works only from Monday to Friday. On Sunday it was closed.


Translated by: Iulia Florescu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University