What the newspapers say: August 23, 2010

Political struggles within Romania’s opposition, the situation of Rroma people in Italy, the interest of Romanians in leaving the country, huge Asian money laundering schemes at a Bucharest commercial complex and the story of two Romanian sports champions feature prominently in Romanian newspapers on Monday.

A huge number of Romanians wish they would leave the country in hope for a better life elsewhere, according to some studies quoted by Adevarul. The paper reads that while shortly after the 1989 revolution and the fall of communism many Romanians left on political reasons, after 2000 migration was mostly economic-based. But now, it says, the main reason for willing to leave Romania is hopelessness.

The same paper reads in a separate article that some major opinion leaders and heads of media enterprises in Romania have left Romania for a short period in New Zealand, flying there on an informational trip at the invitation of Rosia Montana Gold Corporation, which develops the controversial gold mining project in Rosia Montana, Central Romania. The paper debates whether a journalist or media manager accepting such a trip is in line with journalism ethics, considering that spending is covered by the corporation. And it quotes media personalities who rise serious questions about the ethics of such a move.

Also in Adevarul today, the struggle of the Social Democrats to put an end to the current government is discussed thoroughly. The paper reads that opposition leaders aim at convincing enough MPs of the governing coalition in the upcoming two months to vote the Democratic Liberal-dominated government out of office. Negotiations are reaching a critical point for a censure motion against the government.

Meanwhile, Evenimentul Zilei discusses disputes between prominent leaders of the Social Democrats (PSD) – more precisely between Mircea Geoana, ex-presidential candidate and current Senate speaker, and PSD president Victor Ponta. According to the newspapers, the causes of the conflict are the share of power among party moguls, an alliance of the party with de Liberals (PNL) and a project to suspend President Traian Basescu.

Evenimentul Zilei reads elsewhere that Rroma people in Italy have become a certain target in Italian political struggles. As PM Silvio Berlusconi is fighting to dodge early elections, a minister for the Northern League raises the solution of expulsion of Rroma people again. According to the newspaper, Minister Roberto Maroni was quoted in an interview with Corriere della Sera as saying that Italy wants to expel EU citizens who do not have a proper home and a minimum income and are a burden for the host country’s welfare system.

Also in the news today, Gandul tells the story of the two Romanian gold winners in the world kaiac canoe championship, Alexandru Dumitrescu and Victor Mihalachi. On their return home the two are expected to receive a compensation of almost 10,000 for their success in Poznan, and the paper reads that they are earning about 1,500 RON monthly. Mihalachi, who has come to Romania from the Republic of Moldova, is expected to be employed as a police agent at Bucharest-based Dinamo sports club, while Dumitrescu is expected to have a raise.

In a separate article, Gandul reads that Romania borrows an amount of money equivalent to 2 million euro per hour, as starting with the beginning of the year the state borrowed over 11 billion euro from banks, the IMF, the European bodies or foreign investors.

And Romania libera evaluates the prejudice caused to the Romanian state by an Asian network controlling the Dragonul Rosu commercial complex in Bucharest, following a major organised crime investigation there. The paper says that the investigation has revealed a Mafia-style system as prosecutors have found some of the network leaders were connected to the heads of a group of companies controlled by a wealthy Romanian businessman, Dumitru Nicolae. The prejudice to the Romanian state of Asian-run activities at Dragonul Rosu amounts to about a third of the Bucharest city budget for 2010, as investigators have found proof of money laundering at the complex.