What the newspapers say: May 11, 2009

Romania’s government spends 60 million euro to refurbish its headquarters despite the economic crisis, one newspaper reads on Monday. Elsewhere in the news, political conflicts loom within the governing alliance as strategies are sketched for this year’s Presidential elections. Last but not least, a private company in central Romania finances a series of documentaries to promote Romania’s image.

Evenimentul Zilei reveals the government’s plan to invest 60 million euro in refurbishment, modernization and expansion works of the government’s headquarters. After a controversial attribution procedure, a 10 million euro consolidation project was adjudicated. Another 20 million euro are scheduled to modernize the interiors and 30 million euro to expand it.

Some of the reasons put forward by authorities are that the governmental palace is classed as very risky in case of an earthquake and that the government lacks sufficient office spaces. However, the newspaper reads, the attribution procedure failed to respect legal requirements: there was only one company present at negotiations, even if the law requires three and a decision was taken after a direct negotiation within the two parties.

According to the law, the newspaper reads, the attribution procedure should have been canceled due to a lack of participants. Even so, Aedificia Carpati SA Bucuresti was declared eligible to enter the second stage of the procedure.

Aedificia Carpati SA, Petre Badea, a rich businessman, refused to comment on the issue. Badea’s company was offered important contracts for various other official buildings including the House of Parliament, the Presidency and others.

It seems that the governmental coalition is just as unstable as the governmental headquarters. Following recent attacks launched by various Social Democratic ministries, Democrat Liberals threatened to dismiss them from the government if critiques continue, Gandul reads.

Democrat Liberal Prime Minister Emil Boc advised the Social Democratic ministers within a governmental meeting to moderate their views if they wish to keep their mandate, Democrat Liberal leader Vasile Blaga declared for the newspaper.

Moreover, Blaga did not miss the opportunity to express his dissatisfaction with the Social Democratic Party leader Mircea Geoana and his ambivalent attitude. Blaga added that Geoana is free to leave the government if he wishes to do so.

When contacted, Social Democratic ministers declared that Democrat Liberals agreed not to attack the Social Democratic Presidential candidate just as the Social Democrats agreed not to attack theirs. PSD minister Victor Ponta explained that the Democrat Liberals do not have the authority to dismiss a Social Democratic minister.

On a lighter tone, a Romanian private company will finance a series of documentaries to promote Romania’s image abroad, Romania Libera reads. The stories will reveal legends of several wood made churches, made by Romanian handcrafts.

Transylvanian stories, was set up by a private branding company without any public funding or support to promote central Romania and the stories of the wooden churches in the region. The first movie of the series was launched on Thursday in Targu Mures, central Romania.

Local journalist Sorina Bota, who came up with the idea, declared for the newspaper that the documentaries aim at increasing people’s awareness regarding the wood made churches in the area.