What the newspapers say: March 16, 2009

Social Democratic leader Mircea Geoana takes an offensive stand against President Basescu, one newspaper reads on Monday. At the societal level, the number of Romanians suffering of depression increased in the last couple of months. On a lighter tone, Romania’s pugilist champion Lucian Bute defends his title again without any trouble.

Social Democratic leader Mircea Geoana attacks President Basescu again, saying that he ended his mission and after this year’s fall elections he should be replaced, Cotidianul reads. Geoana launched a new attack against the President, during a talk show at a public television.

He declared that it is obvious for everybody that Basescu’s mission has ended. Moreover, he emphasized that this year’s fall elections are essential to pull Romania out of the crisis as fast as possible.

In the last weeks, Geoana attacked the President constantly after announcing his decision to run for President this year. Basescu did not miss any opportunity to attack Geoana and declared that he was the one who helped him maintain his seat among his Social Democratic colleagues.

The paper reads that Geoana is not the only one who started his offensive against the President. Liberal businessman Patriciu declared on Saturday that Basescu does not stand a chance to win elections this year. He declared that all studies point to a decrease of his poll position. Moreover, Patriciu declared that the Obama phenomenon can repeat itself in Romania as well.

When it comes to voters, Evenimentul Zilei notices that the number of depression cases among Romanians increased in the crisis months. Usually, the average patient, aged 40-50 years old is left without a job.

The newspaper reads that the economic crisis just added up to other factors like the lack of time for personal hobbies or loneliness. Psychiatric Hospital Director Calin Scripcaru declared for the newspaper that the number of depressed patients increased by 7 to 10%.

He explains that there are usually two types of patients: businessmen who took up big loans and now are unable to pay their installments or simple individuals who cannot pay their installments because their salaries decreased while the euro exchange rate increased.

Gandul reads that Romania’s former world champion Leonard Doroftei thinks that Lucian Bute, who managed to defend his champion title once again, should compete for other championship titles to increase his performance.

Doroftei declared that in his last fight, Bute won without even sweating, just like Canadian journalists noticed. Doroftei, another great Romanian boxer, declared that it is time for Bute to collect other champion titles if this fight is too easy for him.

The newspaper reads that Doroftei will start up his own boxing school in Ploiesti, nearby Bucharest and that he will return on the ring as a coach.