What the newspapers say: April 7, 2011

To avoid a possible split of the party, Democratic Liberal contenders for the highest position in the party, incumbent Boc and Vasile Blaga are getting ready to negotiate. Romania will receive a 25 million euro aid from the European Parliament to resolve damages caused by floods in June – May 2010. Italian expert Claudio Modena recommends authorities to privatize historical buildings in order to save them. Two American photographers present their two year stay in Romania in an exhibition about Romanian traditions and peasants.

Gandul reads about an offer peace coming from incumbent Emil Boc to his contender Vasile Blaga, in their struggle for the highest position in the Democratic Liberal Party. The newspaper reads that, in order to avoid a split of the party, the two opposing camps are starting negotiations.

The newspaper reads that as the two camps were clearly denominated, Boc is getting ready to come up with a peace offer which would guarantee that the party does not split after the May congress. Talks in Boc’s camp target a verbal pact that would ensure a proportional distribution of the highest positions in the party depending n the votes received in Congress.

In other words, about 50 positions in the national permanent office will be split between the two camps. Boc’s offer comes two days before the two candidates officially launch their motions on Monday.

Romania will receive 25 million euro aid from the European Parliament to resolve damages caused by the floods in May – June 2010, Romania libera reads. Last year’s catastrophe produced significant damages to the infrastructure and the agricultural sector. Six countries affected by floods in May – June 2010 will receive 182 million euro aid from the EU’s Solidarity Fund, following the decision adopted by the European Parliament.

Floods in Romania affected 27 counties, 6.7 million people and authorities estimated damages at 870 million euro. In an interview with Italian expert Claudio Modena, Evenimentul Zilei quotes him recommending Romanian authorities to privatize historical buildings, as a measure to save them.

Modena is an international expert on rehabilitation of historical buildings and attended this week a seminar at Timisoara on the conservation of the European architectural patrimony. In the interview for the newspaper, Modena talks about Romania’s problems and offers some practical advice.

As mentioned, the expert says that the best solution to save patrimony is to privatize historical buildings.

Romania libera reads about two Americans who lived in Maramures, North Romania for two years to integrate and document the traditions of Romanian peasants. Kathleen Laraia McLaughlin launched last month in the US a photo album that reveals her own experience in Maramures.

In October 1999 Kathleen and her husband Henry from the USA were searching for a perfect, unaltered Romanian village in Maramures to observe the traditions of the regions. This way they found the Sarbi village where the two lived under the same roof with a local family for two years. In March 2011 Kathleen launched in the US the photo album from Romania, entitled The Color of Hay. Peasants of Maramures. The 204 pages of the album presents Kathleen’s work for over 10 years including the 2 years spent in Romania. About Romania, Kathleen has only good memories.