What the newspapers say: March 24, 2008

All newspapers on Monday focus on the Social Democratic Party internal debate stirred as the group seeks to nominate a candidate for Bucharest Mayor in upcoming local elections. More in the news, one newspaper reads about the stray dogs and their aggressive behavior in Bucharest. And land in Bucharest gets 15%-20% more expensive despite prices were already very high.

Romania Libera reads that disputes have engulfed the Social Democratic Party (PSD, the main opposition party in Romania) as the party must endorse a candidate for Bucharest Mayor in the upcoming local elections. The newspaper reads that party members are already split in two camps on the matter: leaders with influence within the party do not agree with Party leader Mircea Geoana’s proposal that Marean Vanghelie, now mayor of Bucharest District 5, run for the top job in the Bucharest administration.

Therefore, despite PSD president Geoana officially announced Vanghelie as a candidate last week, Geoana withdrew his statements and now argues that a final decision has not been approved in an official PSD meeting.

Social Democratic leaders wish to endorse Sorin Oprescu, who was recently accused of forging his resume in order to be granted a professor’s position within the University of Medicine. One thing is certain though, Social Democrats will take a decision today.

More in the news, as gas, oil and energy prices keep growing, construction land prices will increase by 15-20% in the first quarter of the year to reach 750-800 euro for 1 square meter in Bucharest, Gandul reads quoting Romania’s construction entrepreneurs association President Laurentiu Plosceanu. He argues that those wishing to purchase an apartment will feel the increase.

Plosceanu says that the cement market in Bucharest and the main cities in Romania has seen price boosts of 12% to reach 85 euro per ton and so did other materials used in the construction works. He further explains that the price of the cement is determined by other production and logistics costs.

Marketing and Sales representative of Holcim Romania, one of the main cement producers in the country, Francois Laporte says that the price of the final product is indeed determined by production and logistics costs. As long as these increase, consumers will face new price increases.

Elsewhere in the news, Evenimentul Zilei reads about the violent stray dogs wondering the streets of Bucharest – a European capital city. The newspaper talks about two most recent attacks against two helpless women who were savagely bitten.

Animal Supervision Administration has been overwhelmed since January, when MPs passed a law ruling that dogs are not to be killed unless they are sick. President of the Administration, Simona Panaitescu argues that there are no vacant seats within her shelters and thus it is impossible to catch more dogs from the streets.