What the newspapers say: February 29, 2008

Some 2 million parents may be forced to take the tour of town halls to report their children’s monthly allocation which according to a ministerial order may be considered „gifts” that have to be registered in public documents, one newspaper reads on Friday. Also in the news today, Bucharest’s Medicine University seems to grant diplomas as easily as professional schools do. Last but not least, the mayor of the Black Sea city of Constanta Radu Mazare is among the few to admit earning million of dollars since holding the public office.

Romania Libera reads that Labor minister Paul Pacuraru is on the verge of making a new gaffe – namely, he plans to suspend state allocations if parents do not show up at the City Hall to register them again as „gifts”.

Thus, some 2 million parents may be compelled to stop by their local administrations in order to re-register the allocation. Labor Ministry officials argue that the Ministry plans to update the children’s database.

However, a Ministry state secretary said yesterday that the Bucharest District 6 city hall made a mistake when it summoned parents to re-register. At their turn, former Labor minister Gheorghe Barbu said that there was no excuse for the Ministry to force some 2 million parents to register again.

More in the news, Cotidianul reads about Bucharest’s Medicine University whose Director, Florian Popa is accused of having transformed it into a professional school. After the newspaper published some inconsistencies in the claimed scientific papers that doctor-Social Democrat (PSD) Senator Sorin Oprescu claimed to have written, the newspaper investigated deeper.

Thus, the University dean Florian Popa appears to have facilitated other doctors to occupy functions within the University unfairly. The newspaper presents three cases in which Dean Florian Popa overlooked some criteria.

Both Petru Armean, former State Secretary in the Health Ministry and Daniela Ion, professor and state secretary in the Education Ministry, claimed to have written at least two articles in order to meet the necessary criteria to advance in their functions.

Meanwhile, Radu Mazare, mayor of the large Romanian port-city of Constanta, South Romania is among the first public officials to admit of earning millions of dollars since instated as Mayor, Gandul reads. Moreover, anti-graft prosecutors have started investigating several business moves Mazare undertook.

Armed with charges of abuse in service anti-graft prosecutors have distraint some terrains Mazare holds, of a total value of 60 million euro, suspected to have been illegally returned to citizens. However, Mazare’s wealth declaration shrank as many assets he previously owned are not mentioned any longer.

In a press conference yesterday, Radu Mazare accused anti-graft prosecutors for having started a political campaign against him. Moreover, he said that they would not manage to distraint his wealth. However, anti-graft prosecutors did distraint part of his properties.