What the newspapers say: December 28, 2010 

2010, the year PM Boc landed on his feet despite the record number of motions submitted by the opposition. Elsewhere in the news, find out how the crisis changed the value of the baksheesh in Bucharest. Also in the capital city, the city hall invested 5 million euro in statues and prepares new projects in 2011.

In 2009, PM Boc entered the history as the only PM dismissed by the Parliament in 20 years, in 2010 he managed to survive the record number of motions against him, Evenimentul Zilei reads.

The liberals attempted to overthrow the government four times: once in June, in October and twice in December. If we also count the motion on the law on education, that makes it five motions against the government. However, that motion never got to be voted in the Parliament because the Liberals changed their minds.

The political scene was dominated by the opposition’s harsh declarations, targeting PM Boc mainly. PM Boc also marked another record: he is the first PM who has been dedicated an attempt of suicide when a public television employee threw himself off the Parliament’s balcony during the Prime Minister’s discourse.

Romania libera reads about how the crisis changed the value of the baksheesh in Bucharest. Offering a tip in restaurants, taxies and other places is a tradition in Romania. It is an unwritten law that each and every one practices it.

In most European countries, the recommended tip is 10%. However, since the crisis, a taxi driver in Bucharest says that there are very few people who leave a tip behind and most of them expect their full change back.

In European restaurants, the tip is included in most menus and is somewhere between 5 to 10%. In Germany, however, the practice of tip is unusual. In the US, tip is between 10-15% and even 20% in some luxury places.

Elsewhere in the news, Gandul reads that in 2010 Bucharest invested over 5 million euro in statues across the city. For 2011, just a 132,000 euro investment in a feasibility study was announced for the time being.

It remains to be seen if the plans of the city hall will further embellish the city in 2011.