What the newspapers say: March 30, 2011

The court’s decision to release union leader Marius Petcu, caught red handed taking bribe by anti graft prosecutors is questioned by one newspaper today. In politics, Liberals and Social Democrats promise places in Parliament for Democrat Liberal members who flee PDL. Elsewhere in the news, all newspapers note Romania’s national football team win against Luxembourg, the first in one year. Last but not least, 800 married couples will benefit in 2011 by subsidized in vitro fertilization.

Romania libera contests the decision of the court to release union leader Marius Petcu, who was indicted after he was caught red handed taking bribe from a local businessman. In the day judges decided to release Petcu, it also decided to issue arrest warrants for a national fiscal administration expert and a fiscal consultant, accused of traffic of influence.

The motivation reveals some confusing issues, the newspaper reads. The Bucharest Appellate Court decided that Petcu can be released even though prosecutors have suspicions that Petcu has been taking bribe from the businessman since 2009 until it was caught last week, taking 40,000 euro in exchange of construction contracts with the union for the businessman.

Judges thus decided that Petcu does not represent social threat even thought, the newspaper reads, Petcu is the leader of the biggest social union in Romania and has the power to launch general protests. Romania libera revealed yesterday that Miron Mitrea, former Transports minister is Petcu’s godfather and that the husband of judge Anca Alexandrescu, who released Petcu, was employed by Bucsaru daughters. Businessman Bucsaru conducted plenty of profitable businesses while Mitrea was leading the Transports ministry.

In politics today, Liberals and Social Democrats promise places in Parliament for 2012 for those who decided to leave the Democratic Liberal party. The two opposition parties guarantee that those who decide to leave PDL now will maintain their seats in the Parliament in 2012.

The opposition plans to make up the majority it needs to overrule the government. All newspapers today read about Romania’s national team victory against Luxembourg, the first victory in a year.

Evenimentul Zilei reads that the new result raises hopes for a qualification in the finals in Poland and Ukraine. Like always, the national team was at the mercy of famous football player Adrian Mutu who saved the day.

Evenimentul Zilei reads that 800 married couples will benefit in 2011 by subsidized in vitro fertilization starting June 1st 2011. Infertile couples will benefit from one in vitro procedure through the national in vitro fertilization program launched by the government.

However, selection criteria are partially contested by experts in discrimination because women above 40 are no accepted, nor those who are overweight. Only couples aged 24 to 40 and those who do not have a child can access the program. Assisted procedures can be conducted in two state units at Giulesti maternity in Bucharest and at the County Hospital in Cluj Napoca, central Romania.

However, the procedure does not cover the treatment prior to the fertilization worth around 500 to 1000 euro. The total budget allocated for this program is 4 million lei that will cover around 800 procedures at about 1,200 euro/procedure.