What the newspapers say: January 16, 2008

Justice has an interim minister until a candidate will be accepted or forced into seat by the Constitutional Court. Some newspapers speculate once again that the true stake in the scandal is the National Anti-Graft Prosecution Office (DNA), where new managers should be elected this year.

Meanwhile, Ukraine once again makes a controversial move in the Serpent Island, declaring it a free trade zone, although the territory is still disputed by Romania and Ukrainian authorities in court.

Defense Minister Teodor Melescanu was named on Tuesday as interim Justice Minister, until the situation with Liberal candidate Norica Nicolai clarifies. President Traian Basescu signed the naming decree on the spot. Basescu declared, after signing the decree, that he maintains his first position: the future Justice Minister must be an experienced person, with a good professional reputation, able to impose respect and gain the recognition of the Justice professional body, Evenimentul Zilei reads..

Romania Libera points at a fact recently brought up by the media: the one who will take the Justice Minister seat will also handle the National Anti-Graft Prosecution Office, whose president, Daniel Morar, will see his mandate expiring in August. Several politicians and analysts say that Morar might be replaced due to the so-called political files handled by his institution.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree to transform the Serpent Island in a free trade area, Russian newspaper Izvestia informs, quoted by Gandul. The decree also includes articles on the future infrastructure and economic development in the island, as well as natural resources exploitation on the continental platform, despite the fact that the territory is claimed by Romania and is still subject in a trial at the European Court of Justice.

In the economy, things aren’t very shiny after the recent fall of the national currency, RON. The Economy Ministry and the Central Bank will put up a lobby team to convince European officials that the economy is still doing fine, Cotidianul informs. The team is supposed to counterattack the downshifting ratings for Romania, as well as to reduce the worries on a too high deficit and inflation rate.