What the newspapers say: June 14, 2010

Most newspapers on Monday read about the new loan IMF recommends for Romania, which officials tend to eschew. The Fiscal Administration National Agency plans to hunt rich Romanians in Europe. In politics, a Democrat Liberal survey reveals that Basescu’s trust dropped to 20% and the Democrat Liberals pitfalled by 10% in just one month. Last but not least, French President Nicholas Sarkozy plans to expell Romanian gypsies out of France.

Most newspapers read that Romania needs another loan from the IMF, quoting Democrat Liberal Interior minister Vasile Blaga. However, the government eschews the idea. Evenimentul Zilei quotes Blaga saying that a new agreement with the IMF is called for and a new agreement presumes a new loan.

He said that the government did not take into account this idea, but the Finance ministry and the National Central Bank did. He added that a part of the Parliament disagrees with the idea of a new loan.

Prime Minister’s counsellor, Andreea Paul Vass declared that it is too early to discuss a new loan from the IMF until the current agreement expires in 2011.

In the same vein, Gandul reads that Blaga admitted that the government should have taken measures in January 2009 but at the time they did not understand the urgency and the need. Currently, there are three ministers who admitted that the government should have taken earlier measures, or that politicians pretended nothing is wrong.

Blaga admitted that austerity measures could have been taken as early as last year, but that politicians did not considered them necessary.

The Romanian Fiscal Administration Agency plans to hunt Romanian rich people living in Europe, Gandul reads. The Agency’s director, Sorin Blejnar said that he plans to identify those Romanians with estates abroad and check whether they have been taxed for it or not.

He is confident that he will find hundreds of people in this situation. Starting next year, the Fiscal Administration will pretend 16% of undeclared goods of the rich.

In politics, a Democrat Liberal survey reveals that President Basescu has left only 20% in trust rates while the party lost 10% in just one month. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats take lead, followed by the Democrat Liberals and Liberals.

According to the lattest survey ordered by the Democrat Liberals, the Social Democrats take lead with 33%, followed by the Democrat Liberals with 25% and by Liberals with 24%. Compared to April, the Social Democrats maintain their position while the Democrat Liberal Party dropped by 10%.

The Liberals however registered a 4% increase in just one month. While Basescu scored only 20% in trust rates, Liberal leader Crin Antonescu reached 21% and Social Democrat leader Victor Ponta 24%.

Gandul reads that President Sarkozy plans to introduce new measures in an attempt to get rid of Romanian gypsies in France. This year, French authorities plan to offer them 4000 euro/each to open a new business in Romania. Those who will receive the money will have their fingerprints taken to be sure that they will not be able to return to France.

In the last years, French authorities allocated more and more resources in an attempt to counter petty thefts or other criminal acts by Romanian gypsies but the results are not visible for the victims. The ide to offer them money in the hope they will not return to France is not new – it has been implemented but it did not work.

This time, authorities hope that if they will all be identified and their fingerprints taken, they will be able to counter a possible return.