What the newspapers say: May 29, 2009

Most newspapers on Friday underline the incapacity of Romanian doctors to manage the first swine flu case. Elsewhere in the news, one newspaper investigates whether the Romanian Patriarchy will come to adapt to the societal dynamic under the leadership of Patriarch Daniel or remain just as conservative. Romanian Ambassador to Portugal, Gabriel Gafita collaborated with the Communist Secret Police, a Bucharest court ruled.

Cotidianul reads on Friday about Romania’s first A(H1N1) flu case registered in Romania and the way hospital authorities failed to manage the situation. The newspaper reads that medical authorities were forced to handle a delicate diplomatic issues when the 30 old year woman, with Romanian and US citizenship refused to remain in hospital due to the media harassment.

The newspaper reads that medial authorities announced initially that the woman and her two children were released from hospital, in order to ease media pressure from the case. Nonetheless, a day after wards, Health ministry officials informed that the woman’s children were hospitalized together with her father.

Hospital director Adrian Streinu Cercel motivated that even though the woman is cured, she is hospitalized together with her 1 year old child who presents a mild form of the virus. Medical sources confirmed that the woman refused to remain in the hospital after media’s aggressiveness.

The newspaper, quoting medical sources reads that the woman never left the hospital. Authorities announced that the virus is contained and that all those who entered in contact with the woman were tested.

Cotidianul investigates whether the Romanian Patriarchy will come to adapt its image through modern communication strategies under the leadership of Patriarch Daniel, known as a skillful manager. Headvertising Communications specialist , Serban Alexandrescu declared for the newspaper that the Romanian Orthodox Church needs to become a credible communicator.

He emphasized that the Church should consider developing a better PR strategy and improve the image of the Church, in line with societal trends. Patriarch Daniel was known for his skillful management ideas and his use of media channels to promote the Church.

Nonetheless, within the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniel does not have the same free hand, Professor Ioan Mitrofan, counselor for the Blaj Greek Catholic Church, central Romania. He declared that the Patriarch cannot take any decision by himself but needs to take into account the others as well. On the long term, Mitrofan said, the Church will become more open.

Most experts quoted by the newspaper declared that even though the new leadership of Patriarch Daniel brought about important internal changes, there are no major structural changes within the Church. However, analyst Razvan Theodorescu emphasize the Patriarch’s authoritative leadership in improving the Church’s image.

Theodorescu underlined, on the other hand, the Patriarch’s charisma in gaining the support of politicians, which brings about considerable financial support for various religious projects.

Romania libera reads about a decision of the Bucharest Appellate Court ruling that current Romanian Ambassador Gabriel Gafita collaborated with the Communist Secret Police, Securitate based on the documents received from the National Council on Security Archives.

However, the decision is not final and can be contested in court. Ambassador Gafita denies the allegations and declared that he will contest the decision. Apparently, Gafita started his alleged collaboration with the Securitate structures when he was 25 years old with a code name Rosetty.