What the newspapers say: April 25, 2008

Most newspapers discuss on Friday the way the Easter dinner should be organized. Except for that, it seems that the Bucharest city hall will remain under the influence of the same people as before, regardless who wins the elections. In other news, former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase is indirectly accused of demanding bribe in order to allow some businesses to function and Bucharest officially became the most polluted Capital in the European Union.

Romanian car producer Dacia Renault will put a make-up on its Logan model and re-launch a more stylish version of the car, in order to boost its sales. The production capacity of the factory demands it, since it will reach 350,000 units per year, starting this year, and grow furthermore, to 400,000 units per year after 2009, Evenimentul Zilei reads.

Gandul finds out that the current public administration law renders the local elections useless, since the Mayor will need the approval of the Local Council for all his actions. The Local Council will be formed – after the way the main parties put up their lists – by people close to the most influential politicians in Romania, the newspaper proves.

The same Gandul discovers a paradox, typical for Romania: the parking lot for one car costs 15,000 euro + VAT in Bucharest, more than most of the cars in Bucharest are worth and a lot more than the new traditional car, Dacia Logan.

But the „bomb of the day” is another; Cotidianul came into the possession of a recording showing Liana Iacob, a dignitary in the Adrian Nastase cabinet, demanding bribe from Maximilian Katz, a businessman who owned a duty-free stores network. In the recording, Iacob mentions that 95% of the 2.5 million „tax” is for the prime minister, the rest being shared among subordinates.

Also in Cotidianul, two major environment news: Bucharest officially became the most polluted Capital in the European Union, surpassing Sofia, Athens and Rome; while Environment Minister Attila Korody is close from banning free plastic bags in stores, in order to force retailers to find and use ecological solutions.