What the newspapers say: April 10, 2009

Most newspapers comment on the decision of a member of the Romanian royal family, Prince Radu Duda, to run for president. The updates about the situation in Moldova continue to be a reason for concern, and the financial situation in Romania is becoming so difficult that the president himself would barely afford to buy an apartment.

More or less, most newspapers comment that Prince Radu’s decision to run for president this year is a sort of betrayal of the monarchy, even more now, after King Mihai I and his wife decided not to participate in the formal ceremony in which Prince Radu Duda announced his intention. „Radu Duda counts on the expertise of one of Barack Obama’s counselors and is advised by one of oilman Patriciu’s men”, Evenimentul Zilei reads.

Commenting on the situation in Moldova, same Evenimentul Zilei notes that „the Voronin regime begun a Stalinist hunt”: the people in Chisinau live in terror, after some 200 people that participated in the anti-Communist protests were arrested, along with several Opposition leaders, who are now accused of instigation to mass rioting.

On the same subject, Cotidianul finds evidence that the arson in the Moldovan Parliament’s building was provoked by infiltrated agents of the Voronin regime. As for the vandalized offices of parliamentarians, the same newspapers notes that most offices belonged to Opposition members. Some of their document went missing after the events.

Romanian Foreign Minister criticized on Thursday the diplomatic measures taken by Moldova against Romania and demanded authorities in Chisinau to inform Romanian authorities about the exact number of Romanians arrested in Chisinau during the past few days. At the same time, the Moldovan Prosecutor General, Valeriu Gurbulea, said he had enough evidence to prove that the youngsters studying in Romania were among the most aggressive participants in the protests, Evenimentul Zilei reads.

Back to Romania, Cotidianul checks the recent appeals made by president Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Emil Boc, who suggested that Romanians should demand more credits, in order to unblock the market. According to Cotidianul, with their income, the two officials would barely afford a mortgage credit enough to buy a two-rooms apartment in Bucharest, and not one in a luxury residential area. Adding his wife’s income, the Prime Minister may afford a three-room apartment.