Loading ...Romania libera remarks that despite a categorical refuse from the Opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD), National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), Prime Minister-designate Lucian Croitoru will continue to assemble his ministerial team. Gardianul notes that Croitoru is prolonging the political crisis, arguing that he wasted the fifth day out of ten days at his disposal to come before Parliament with a Government programme and a list of ministers, and he seems determined to do the same in the next five days as well.
Jurnalul national reports that former Minister of Sports and Youth Monica Iacob Ridzi and acting Tourist Minister Elena Udrea have been sent before the prosecutors, as the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday cast a majority vote on requesting the General Prosecution office to start a criminal probe in alleged money embezzlement by Ridzi, and on a report of the parliamentary committee having inquired into criminal offences committed by Udrea, for which a criminal probe was also recommended.
Jurnalul national remarks that PSD candidate for President Mircea Geoana has for the first time outperformed President Traian Basescu in a recent INSOMAR poll commissioned by Realitatea TV into the vote intentions for the first round of the presidential election.
Romania libera also notes that Romania risks losing 900 million euros worth of European grants. As much as 169 million euros worth of funds are expected to be cancelled soon. These funds should have been used for unemployment projects, labour training, regional development, corporate modernisation, infrastructure, healthcare and education. A European Commission report on the absorption of pre-accession funds by Romania and Bulgaria January 1, 2007 – July 31, 2009 is scheduled to be debated next month by the Committee on budget control of the European Parliament.
Gardianul reports that the first installment of a World Bank loan worth 300 million euros is coming to Romania. The amounts, related to a first loan for development policies approved by the World Bank, will be paid into the accounts of the Public Finance Ministry in some days, according to state secretary with the Finance Ministry Bogdan Dragoi. Dragoi is quoted as saying Romania has already met all the conditions for a first 300-million-euro loan from the World Bank; a second loan out of a total loan worth 1 billion euro is scheduled for disbursement in early 2010.
The Labour Ministry might finalise a draft uniform public pension system law in the next ten days. The new version of the draft will include amendments from trade unions, employers’ associations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Ziarul financiar remarks that among the amendments from the IMF is accelerating the process of increasing and equalising the retirement age for both men and women. Under the initial version of the draft, the retirement age for both men and women was supposed to equalise at 65 years by 2030, but the IMF has suggested speeding up the equalisation process so that it may end earlier.
The papers note that the Romanian market for construction materials has collapsed in the ongoing year of crisis, triggering the lay-off of more than 12,000 people. Trade associations say sales declined 28.5 percent in the first nine months of 2009, year on year.
More than 62,000 people have been killed in road accidents in Romania since 1990, according to a survey conducted by Cotidianul. So far this year more than 90 accidents have occurred in which passenger transportation vehicles were implicated. The same survey indicates that there has not been a single day this year without an accident nationwide.
Gandul remarks that when tranquillisers, sedatives and anti-depressive drugs are taken into account, the percentage of Romanians having tested illicit drugs reaches 8.6 percent. In figures, that means 1,300,000 Romanians have tested first hand what illicit drugs mean, according to the National Anti-Drugs Agency. Since choices range wide, the paper says, the most often drug taken is cannabis (1.5 percent), followed by ecstasy (0.4 percent); heroin (0.1 percent), hallucinogens (0.1 percent) and cocaine (both basic and crack – 0.1 percent).
Evenimentul zilei remarks that the Romanian Government has lost nearly 18 million euros over the past three years in more than 100 trials before the European Court of Human Rights because of inefficiency on the part of the state officials in charge with returning property that was abusively confiscated by the late communist regime. Incomplete legislation, coupled with hesitations and delays in its implementation, the paper says, led to a large-scale sentencing of Romania by the ECHR in cases that regard property returning in the form of shares in the Proprietatea Fund, pecuniary or in kind compensations for the confiscated properties.
The paper reports that Romanian football team Unirea Urziceni has recorded one of the most resounding victories of Romanian teams in the Champions League, having defeated Glasgow Rangers 4-1 (1-1) on Tuesday evening in an away Group G match. Thanks to its victory, Unirea won the chance of coming in at least third and advancing to the Europa League, but it also stands great chances of coming in second and advancing to the first round of the Champions League.
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