What the newspapers say: June 24, 2010 

For the first time after 1989, ordered press campaigns were defined as a serious threat to the country’s security in Romania’s Defense Strategy, one newspaper reads on Thursday. Elsewhere in the news, National Central Bank Chief Economist Valentin Lazea declared that a quarter of state employees should be fired if the government wants to increase back salaries with 25%. In politics today, in the Social Democratic Party, local organizations need to contribute to the central party, for the survival of the party.

For the first time after 1989, ordered press campaigns were defined as a threat to Romania’s security, a document sent to the Parliament reads. Gandul quotes the document, saying that ordered press campaigns with an aim to denigrate the state and its institutions by spreading false information is a threat to the national security.

Another threat noted is the pressure of the press in the political area in attempt to obtain economic advantages. Romania’s vulnerabilities: the weak administrative capacity, fiscal evasion, counterfeit and the black economy.

The reaction of presidential counsellors reveals that the frustration of the power in reards to the quality of the press and the way journalists do their job. Even though they insisted that the document does not have practical implications, institutions can elaborate strategies which can lead to a legal regulatory system regarding the press.

In order for salaries to increase back in 2011, the government needs to lay off about a quarter of state employeed, National Central Bank chief economist Valentin Lazea declared, Gandul reads. Prompted how many budgetary personnel should be laid off, Lazea avoided a clear answer but he said that it regards a quarter of the 1.38 million people working for the state.

The newspaper concludes that 345,000 budgetary personnel needs to be laid off in order for the others to receive their salary without the 25% cut. Lazea underlined the responsibility of this generation to the generation to come, to cover Romania’s public debt.

Regarding Romania’s chance to reorganize revenues and spending, Lazea counts on foreign pressure. He said that Romania’s governing capacity is weak but is systematically reinforced by foreign pressure. Lazea declared that Romania’s perspectives to mark an economic increase are dim for the moment.

Evenimentul Zilei reads about the new „tax” imposed by PSD leader Victor Ponta to local organizations: each local leader has to pay 3,000 lei for the survival of the party. Leaders in Bucharest have to pay 1,000 lei each month, for the same goal.

With serious debts of over 8 million euro, Social Democrats have trouble covering all expenses. The two taxes would gather about 500,000 euro in one year, according to an internal document quoted by the newspaper,