What the newspapers say: April 4, 2008

All newspapers today focus on the second day of the NATO Summit held in Bucharest this week as most important decisions have been dealt with. Elsewhere in the news, Liberals have received some 1.1 million euro in donations from private companies. Last but not least, Dacia Renault 11-day general strike starts to affect those indirectly involved.

A historical decision has been taken at the Bucharest 2008 NATO Summit, as Romania has been included within the NATO missile shield they plan to set up in Europe to complement the American missile shield, Evenimentul Zilei reads.

Plus Albania and Croatia have been officially invited to join NATO while Macedonia’s access has been postponed due to the name controversy with Greece. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer declared that once the name issue will be resolved, Macedonia will be invited to join NATO.

Gandul reads about Russia’s victory at the Summit, arguing that Putin will join a safe terrain since all sensitive decisions have already been taken before his arrival in Bucharest. The newspaper reads it is for the first time America cannot endorse its vision and offer Georgia and Ukraine the membership action plan.

Within the last weeks, Russia has pressured European countries by threats of using energy arms to stall the wishes of the West. Thus both Germans and French feared a possible retaliation of the Russians and rejected to offer the action plan for the two countries.

Romanian President Traian Basescu has portrayed the success of the summit, against Russian interests, declaring that he salutes NATO leaders for their determination to offer the action plan for Georgia and Ukraine at a later date.

Elsewhere in then news, the PM Tariceanu’s Liberal government has been spoiled by private companies through donations totaling some 1.1 million euro last year alone Cotidianul reveals. The newspaper reads that private companies group against other parties, to favor the governing Liberals.

Liberals are closely followed by Democrats who received more donations but less money, amounting to some 607,260 euro. At the other side of the spectrum, Social Democrats received only 235,000 euro in donations.

Last but not least, Romania libera reads about the general strike at Dacia Renault plant in Romania which starts to affect those who are indirectly linked with the factory, such as car services businesses or car dealers.

The general strike at Dacia Renault started on March 24 and so far no viable solution has been found to let employees return to work. Even though a local court was prompted to rule on the case, a decision has been postponed two times by now.

This is the longest general strike organized at Dacia and union members argue that they are determined to go through with it until the administration decides to offer them a better salary pack.