What the newspapers say: January 10, 2011

French Ambassador to Bucharest talks in an interview about France’s position in the Schengen file and about the next steps Romania and Bulgaria could take, one newspaper reads on Monday. Elsewhere in the news, IMF demands Romania to make supplementary efforts to control spending in health and public enterprises. Last but not least, Bucharest’s mayor Sorin Oprescu ordered a 10 minute movie to change tourists’ perceptions about Bucharest.

In an interview for Evenimentul Zilei, French Ambassador to Bucharest Henri Paul reveals that Paris’s critical position in the Schengen file is not determined by any deal. The diplomat observes the problems Romania faces in justice and invited Romania and Bulgaria to a common action that could lead to some solutions to tackle these problems.

The ambassador rejects speculations that link France’s position to the fact that French companies did not get a contract in Romania for the construction of reactors in the Cernavoda nuclear plant. Henri Paul reiterates the French position that the adhesion of the two countries is still premature.

In his opinion, a decision on Schengen should be taken only when the two countries started to remedy their problems in security and justice and the fight against corruption.

The French Ambassador underlined that this is the position of his country. The French diplomat advises Romania and Bulgaria to set up a common action at Brussels to define the way that will allow solutions to these problems that need to be tackled, not hidden.

Elsewhere in the news, Romania libera reads about the IMF demands to Romania to control spending in health and public enterprises. IMF declared that the absorption of EU funds needs to become a priority for the government. First Deputy Executive Director of the Fund, John Lipsky declared that the main challenge for Romania is to implement reform and maintain a strict control of spending. He said that Romania is on a clear path to fulfill its fiscal objectives on the medium and short term.

Supplementary efforts are called for in the Health sector and public enterprises, to control spending, he said. The IMF official declared that efforts to improve fiscal administration need to be continued and a reform in the labour and social insurances sector will contribute to an increase in productivity.

Gandul reads about the plans of Bucharest Mayor Sorin Oprescu to change tourists’ perceptions about Bucharest by ordering an audio-video 10 minute movie in which Bucharest is positively portrayed. Bucharest will be presented as a city in which every tourist can adapt easily, can relax or can have fun as a great place for business or professional conferences.

The value of the contract totals 42,500 euro. Local authorities have also other plans include setting up bus circuits across Bucharest, a route to cover the Romanian Revolution, cards with access to theaters, museums, local transportation and other programs for children.

Bucharest mayor Sorin Oprescu declared that in 2010 Bucharest was visited by about 600,000 foreign tourists. He expects the number of tourists to be at least 25,000 foreign tourists in May 2012 when Bucharest hosts the UEFA finals.