Saturday, February 17, 2007

What the newspapers say: February 15, 2007


President Basescu addressed the Parliament yesterday. Instead of the expected unveiling on corrupt politicians, or instead of peace-making apologies, Basescu simply announced a referendum for the introduction of the uninominal vote.
Basescu's move and the echoes of the simple motion the Senate passed against the Justice Minister make most of the news today.

"Referendum for the uninominal vote" is the title in Evenimentul Zilei, Romania Libera and Jurnalul National. Simple, dry as a perfect martini, almost leading us to believe newspapers are objective.
"Basescu's "apologies": Uninominal vote used as a bat" is the title in Gandul. "Basescu's referendum wipes the floor with the elected PMs", Cotidianul reads, closer to having some attitude.

Another problem with Basescu is that the elections for the European Parliament might be postponed, in case the president's suspension procedures continue, PM Tariceanu warns, according to Gandul.

Moving to Tariceanu's cabinet, the Justice Minister's seat has an unknown status. The Constitutional Court is the only institution that might have an answer in Monica Macovei's resignation, after the Senate passed a simple motion against her.
Some say she's as good as resigned, others say it's up to the party that nominated her. All arguments available at Gandul.

Still, since there is no scandal without some corruption charges, a deputy accuses Macovei of having bought recently a 200,000 euros villa in a residential area in Bucharest, Adevarul reads.

European Parliament has a bone to pick with America's friends. The final version of the report on CIA activities in Europe was adopted yesterday, maintaining the criticism against Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Poland and Romania. The report still holds the suspicion that detention facilities might have existed in Romania, Evenimentul Zilei reads.

And another piece of bad war news: the UN chief of Police in Kosovo was fired because of the excessive use of force by Romanian gendarmes, Gandul reads.

Good news, bad news: home made spirit for one's own use requires endless bureaucracy procedures (Gandul). Windows Vista makes PC market grow 10%. (Romania Libera). Peasants with healthier livers will live longer to play Solitaire.

Good and bad news: Renault invests 450 million euros in a technology center in the small city of Titu, but demands some incentives from the Romanian state, Gandul reads.

Good or bad news (?): 12% of the petroleum products sold in Romania are counterfeit, according to Dinu Patriciu, Rompetrol CEO. Sounds bad, but the figure was 40% in 2003, Adevarul informs.

In the end, plain bad news for Europeans: the anti corruption prosecutors solved 11 files on European funds frauds in 2006. The result: four minor jail sentences, all suspended, as Adevarul found out.

All hail euros!

HotNews.ro, Feb 15, 2007

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