What the newspapers say: March 15, 2011

​Tight fight in the Democratic Liberal Party, between incumbent Boc and Vasile Blaga, for the highest position in the party. One newspaper wonders if money will make a difference as PM Boc allocated about 90 million euro to city halls across country for infrastructure and sports facilities. In business, foreign direct investments in January amounted to 240 million euro, eight times more than in 2010. Romanian supersonic plane, ready for takeoff in 2013. Elsewhere in the news, Romanians might enjoy in five years time of a new luxury balneary resort in Turda, central Romania.

All newspapers on Tuesday read about the internal fight for power in the Democratic Liberal Party between incumbent Emil Boc and Vasile Blaga for the highest position in the party. Evenimentul Zilei reads that more than half of the party branches endorse Blaga for the position while Boc took off in a bad start.

Nonetheless, Boc is sustained by the President and his allies in the party. Even though Boc received the support of the party’s Bucharest branch leader Elena Udrea, Boc can only count on votes from the 2nd and 6th district as all others endorse Blaga. Vasile Blaga is very influent among the party and has a great influence on delegates to the party congress.

According to an internal survey, 75% of those who declared that they will vote for PDL see Blaga as President of the party. In the same vein, Romania libera wonders whether local party branches will shift their support for Boc as the Prime Minister just allocated about 90 million euro to city halls across country for infrastructure and sports facilities.

For infrastructure projects, 91.4 million lei went to 161 city halls controlled by PDL, while 36 city halls controlled by Hungarian Democrats received 36.1 million lei. 139 city halls controlled by Social Democrats will receive 65.9 million lei and 116 city halls controlled by Liberals will receive 40.7 million lei.

However, according to Boc’s counsellor, Iuliu Pacurar, the distribution of the money was not based on political color but on the evolution of projects in each county. The newspaper reads that the money allocation might also determine some undecided local leaders to vote for Boc or even shift the minds of others.

In business today, Evenimentul Zilei offers some good news reporting that Romania’s foreign direct investments in January amounted to 240 million euro, eight times more than in the same month, last year. Also in January, exports exceeded imports.

Therefore, the current account deficit was only 15 million euro, a 86.5% decrease compared to the same month, last year.

Romania libera reads about the first Romanian supersonic plane built for the Google Luna X Prize competition that will be ready for takeoff in 2013. The plane’s construction was not finished yet but the first test will take place in May this year. This is a unique project in Romania and experts have been working on it for 10 years.

Romanians might enjoy in five years time a new balneary luxury resort nearby Turda, central Romania, Gandul reads. The investment, amounting to 47.5 million euro includes plans for three, four and five star hotels, ice skating ring, hippodrome and a golf course.

The former salt mine in Turda – Durgau was opened for tourism back in 1993 and modernized in 2009 -2010 and it hosts, nearby two salty lakes with health facilities. In 2010, the salt mine attracted 375,000 people and authorities are looking for investors in the project.