What the newspapers say: June 10, 2010

Romanian newspapers on Thursday discuss the potential effects of a censure motion submitted by the opposition against the Government in the Parliament. As the deadline by which elected officials should have submit their wealth statements is getting near, one paper explores the willingness of politicians to stick to transparency rules. And riding a black horse out of the penitentiary is not impossible even when the rider has a years-long sentence to serve.

Gandul newspaper reads that changes to the structure and membership of the Romanian government may be cleared within two weeks after a censure motion submitted against the opposition against the government is discussed in Parliament. According to the paper, a plan developed by a member of the governing Democratic Liberals (PDL) provides the grounds for a slimmer government which would be installed by the end of the month. According to the paper, PDL prepares to cut the size of the Boc Government not only by dismantling state agencies, but also by reducing the number of ministries, with one party leader proposing a maximum of eight ministries.

Adevarul explores the opinions of corporate Romania about political struggles sparked by Government plans to reduce budget spending by cutting state employees’ salaries and pensions. It quotes oil company Petrom top official Mariana Gheorghe, who says any measure that may come by in an attempt to overcome the crisis would prove unpopular. And she says Romania may overcome the current economic situation faster should the Government measures in this regard have political support.

Romania libera considers ideas put forward by opposition Social Democrats (PSD) to join a government only after an early general election, should such a poll be decided in case the censure motion against the government passes in Parliament. The paper calculates the expenses of such an early elections: the spending of tens of millions of euro and many months of political lock-down.

Elsewhere in the news, Evenimentul Zilei notes that Romanian deputies must submit their wealth and interest statements by June 15, but without a valid law in this regard they no longer want to have these statements made public. MPs are not at all willing to abandon secrecy about their wealth statements and make use of the fact that there is no new law yet on the functioning of ANI, the body which should have supervised the publication of these statements.

Adevarul reports that the mayor a Bucharest district is burying his deceased relatives in historical Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest – in the crypts of major Romanian personalities, to be more precise. The paper reads that two relatives of Bucharest District 5 mayor Marian Vanghelie are now buried in the chapel of the family of former War and Foreign Affairs minister Iacob Lahovary (1846-1907).

And Gandul pays much attention to the case of mobster Nutu Camataru, who was sentenced to 13 years behind bars last year for cases of blackmail, violence and pimping. But as the sentence is not final, he was freed on Wednesday as another six-year sentence came to an end. On his way out, he made a moment of triumph before the Jilava Penitentiary, where he rode away on a superb black horse, under the eyes of his family and a throng of reporters.