What the newspapers say: April 7, 2009

The recent arrest of the controversial businessman Gigi Becali and of another multi-millionaire, Puiu Popoviciu, causes unexpected reactions on the political stage. Social Democrat leader Mircea Geoana puts the governing alliance in danger, demanding investigations against president Basescu’s family.

Mircea Geoana officially demanded the Anti-Graft Prosecution Office (DNA) to investigate the affairs of the Basescu family, namely the real estate deals conducted by president Basescu’s elder daughter, Ioana, and the president’s brother, Mircea Basescu. Geoana claims that the means used by the two members of the Basescu family are similar to those held against Puiu Popoviciu. Even more, Geoana says that the arrest of Gigi Becali is just smoke in the eyes for the public opinion, Evenimentul Zilei reads. According to the same newspaper, Geoana also accused the double standards used by the Justice, pointing at the fact that Costel Iancu, another controversial investor in the Romanian football, is judged while being at large, while Becali remains under arrest.

The Democrat Liberals, Basescu’s supporting party, reacted promptly and attempted to boycott the voting of the Supreme Defense Council Law. Mircea Geoana could have seen his position as vice president of the council endangered, in case the Democrat Liberals slammed the law, so he decided to postpone the voting for another day, Gandul reads.

There may be several more reasons for Geoana’s statements, Cotidianul adds. One of them, according to the newspaper, is the fact that the Democrat Liberals attempt to cut more funds from the Social Democrats’ ministries during the next state budget reshuffling.

Speaking of money: a secret IMF report points at the fact that the East European states may eliminate several major economic risks in case they adopt the European currency earlier than scheduled, even as second-rank members of the Euro zone, Cotidianul reads, quoting an article published by Financial Times. At the same time, the Romanian currency won significantly in front of the Euro, reaching a minimum level in the past 3 months.