What the newspapers say: January 21, 2011

Democrat Liberals count on the Romanian diaspora in the upcoming 2012 elections as they want to introduce voting by mail, one newspaper reads on Friday. French European Affairs minister warned that Romania and Bulgaria’s adhesion to Schengen will threaten the security of the EU. The famous annual hunting party organized by Romanian businessman Ion Tiriac will be held this weekend. Romanian “manele” singer Florin Salam was broadcast on BBC Radio One.

Democrat Liberals count on the Romanian diaspora in the 2012 elections, Gandul reads. Some even believe that this would be the party’s only chance to obtain a good result in the elections. The potential electoral pool abroad is somewhere between 3 to 5 million Romanian, the newspaper reads.

Of these, according to sources, only 500,000 to 1 million people would vote if the project submitted by Foreign Affairs minister Teodor Baconschi on the introduction of voting by mail will become a reality. In the last elections, the mass of voters from abroad made the difference between Basescu and Geoana.

Romania’s Foreign Affairs minister said that the model was taken from Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Germany – countries who already use this system of voting. In these countries, authorities send a bulletin in a sealed envelope to the address citizens announced they will vote from.

Romanians residing abroad will therefore have the option to exercise their vote through the classic method or by mail.

Elsewhere in the news, French European Affairs minister Laurent Wauquiez warned at Helsinki that a premature adhesion of Romania and Bulgaria could threaten the security of the EU, Evenimentul Zilei reads. He underlined that common French and German position that Romania and Bulgaria should not join Schengen.

The French official said that in the sector uniting Romania, Bulgaria and Greece a third of the problems related to the entry of goods and persons in the EU are found: illegal immigration, arms trafficking, drugs, children trafficking. Romania libera reads on Friday about the by now famous hunting party organized by Romanian businessman Ion Tiriac at Balc where the most influent European men gather to shoot wild boars.

Every year, newspapers read about the happenings on the Balc grounds where tens of wild boars, are shot. Local hunters claim that the hunting party attracts people because hunters have the change to shoot huge animals, most of them over 240 kg. The wild boars are bred on the Balc grounds, and are especially overfed for the hunting party.

The second reason is that the ground was used by former Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, which is a huge attraction for Western billionaires. Thirdly, which is more of a legend is that the after party reminds of presumably Masonic rituals. For locals, the hunting party is a blessing, because they have a chance to win some money.

Last year a transporter received between 350-400 lei/day. Locals also receive a part of the meat. Gandul reads on Friday that a Romanian “manele” singer, Florin Salam, was broadcast on BBC Radio One and one famous German DJ, Shantel said that this music will be a hit in Germany and Austria.

Romanian composer Mihai Alexandru declared for the newspaper that foreigners are interested in the music of minorities, of wild hits. A month ago, another Romanian manele singer, Nicolae Guta was appreciated in France. Critic Patrick Labesse from Le Monde marked Guta’s album on fourth best 2010 albums.