What the newspapers say: January 15, 2008

Some 250 pupils were forced to skip their sports class to allow Social Democratic politicians to play football, one newspaper reads on Tuesday. Also in the Social Democratic camp, Senator Sorin Oprescu, a doctor, illegally claims in his CV to have published eight scientific articles. Elsewhere in the news, factory owners demand more Chinese workers.

Evenimentul Zilei reads about Social Democrat (PSD) deputy Victor Ponta who deprived some 250 children of their sports hour for his own football match with other party colleagues.

Sports professor Alexandru Gridan says that the gym administrator announced him that the gym needs to be free for PSD members. The professor adds that he took the chance to teach the children some basic safety measures when in sports class. School director Ion Sanda declared that the gym is not owned by the school and that the local council ruled that it can be rented outside school hours.

Mayor Dorin Hanu admitted to have played football in the school’s gym but argued, despite other declarations that they only rented the gym for one hour and not for three as others sustained.

Gandul reads about Mayor Dorin Hanu, member of the far-right Greater Romanian Party (PRM) that recently announced his transfer to the Social Democratic Party. The newspaper argues that general education inspector Gheorghe Mitescu was contacted and he declared that an investigation will be held.

Still on the Social Democratic camp, PSD Senator Sorin Oprescu, a doctor in one of the biggest hospitals in Bucharest illegally claims in his CV that he wrote eight scientific articles, Cotidianul informs.

The paper reads that the main reason Oprescu might have done this was the fact that he wanted to be promoted as professor in February 2000.

According to existing criteria, Oprescu needed some 20 scientific articles published out of which 10 to have written himself and at least 3 as co-author.

As a proof for the Commission, Oprescu submitted only the front pages of his presumed articles and the cover of the magazine. However, Cotidianul journalists reveal that actually his claims are fake since no articles appear in the original editions of the magazine.

Moreover, at a closer look, Oprescu did not even write 10 articles himself as the archives show he authored only six while the others are actually co-authored.

Contacted by the newspaper, Oprescu declared that his CV is correct and that everything stipulated there is in accordance with real facts.

Elsewhere in the news, Gandul reads that factory owners demand more foreign work force from China. Labor Minister officials argue that they will set up the necessary paperwork for some 10,000 Chinese workers, but factory owners claim they need some 50,000.

Due to legal and technical issues, last year, even though the work permits were approved, hundreds of files have been blocked.

Experts argue that the market can host some 50,000 workers and that the government should propose and push forward this number at the beginning of each year.