What the newspapers read: February 2, 2011

Romania might pretend, with a certain justification that it is treated as a second rank EU member state, one newspaper reads on Wednesday quoting an editorial in the Financial Times. Elsewhere in the news, PM Boc might have a counter candidate in the internal Democrat Liberal Party elections scheduled for May. In the same vein, PDL Vice President Videanu declared that the party registered a 8% increase in the last two months, thus proving Romanians believe this is the only real alternative. Last but not least, Romanian Roma in Finland have access to medical services.

Evenimentul Zilei quotes the Financial Times reading that Romania might pretend, with a certain justification, that it is treated as a second rank member in the EU. FT reads that Romania and Bulgaria were admitted in the EU in 2007 under a monitoring regime targeted to promote EU standards of government but which the two countries still need to reach.

Regarding the two countries’ adhesion to Schengen, the foreign financial newspaper reads that the same monitoring regime might hinder their chances to join Schengen. The British publication reads that the two countries joined the EU even though there were plenty of suspicions at the EU level and other members have every right to maintain their only control instrument.

The indicators of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism are directly linked to the country’s credibility to join Schengen. Even though the problems exposed by France and Germany are legitimate, it was not raised entirely in good faith, FT reads.

In politics today, Democrat Liberals brag about an 8% increase in electoral favor in the last two months and Gandul quotes PDL Vice President Videanu saying that people realized that their only real option is PDL since the Opposition did not offer any solutions.

However, PDL’s political support is shaky and things might change in either direction in the internal elections scheduled for May. Romania libera reads that PM Boc might have a counter candidate in the person of Sorin Frunzaverde. The newspaper reads that these will be the first elections without a unique candidate for the party’s presidency.

Frunzaverde was the voice of opposition in the party in the last years and a close ally of Blaga, informal PDL leader. PM Boc did not make any public statements regarding a possible new mandate in the party, and left the impression that he will withdraw due to his image, which deteriorated by his activity as PM.

Recently, Basescu said that “Boc did not have the final word in politics yet”, which was interpreted by many as an announcement of Boc’s intentions to get a new mandate.

Romania libera reads that Romanian Roma living in Finland will have access to medical services, at a clinic whose location is secret and will open in February. The clinic is destined to foreign citizens living illegally in Finland but according to a Finnish daily, Romanian Roma can also use the clinic. Most of the times, those who live illegally do not have the money or the courage to appeal to medical assistance when they need one and the idea was taken from Sweden where there are seven clinics of this sort.