What the newspapers say: July 8, 2008

This year’s Baccalaureate transforms into a political battle in Romania and controversies between officials are on the agenda, one newspaper reads on Tuesday. Elsewhere in the news, Environment ministry Attila Korodi received a free BMW 520 model to test its ecological emissions. Temperatures skyrocket these days to over 38 degrees Celsius.

Gandul reads that this year’s Baccalaureate produces scandal after scandal, involving politicians, police forces, the FBI and more recently the anti-graft prosecutors. Anti-graft prosecutors started investigating the way the exam progressed in Maramures where they have unofficial information that some professors received some 100,000 Romanian Ron in bribe.

At his turn, Democrat Liberal leader Emil Boc has taken this opportunity to request the Education minister Cristian Adomnitei’s resignation because he failed to care for this exam. Moreover, Boc declared that Adomnitei was more interested in this year’s local elections than in the Baccalaureate exam.

Moreover, authorities urged universities to change their admission policies and consider not taking into account the Baccalaureate grades. This way, they argue, pupils will feel less pressured and will not be tempted to cheat in order to receive a greater mark.

Elsewhere in the news, Environment minister Attila Korodi received a 40,000 euro worth BMW 520 model for drive tests, Evenimentul Zilei reads. Korodi declared that he accepted the car because it is one of the few cars to have low emissions and thus it can be considered an environmentally safe car.

Automobile Bavaria officials declare that they have signed a one year contract with Korodi and he will be able to drive the car for one year, free of charge. Moreover, the contract can be re-negotiated. Advertising experts declare that this is a promotional move which might bring more publicity for Automobile Bavaria.

However, journalists argue that this is not the first car received by Korodi. On the contrary, since 2000 when he occupied a public function he drove, in the same regime, a SAAB 9-5 model and a Honda Civic Hybrid.

Korodi is not the only official to take advantage of his position. At the European level, the EP President Pottering received a BMW Hydrogen 7 model, the first model which works on hydrogen.

Last but not least, Romania is hit by a heat wave these days, Evenimentul Zilei reads. Meteorologists have issues a yellow code warning for South Romania where temperatures will exceed 37 degrees Celsius. Moreover, Bucharest will also be affected along other regions in the South.

If the South will be burning, the other regions of the country will witness unstable weather: storms and heavy rain will most likely hit the country. Moreover, meteorologists say that this will provide a cold wave to the South where tomorrow temperatures will reach 33 degrees Celsius.