What the newspapers say: October 1, 2009

Romania’s incumbent president asked Interior minister to quit, as to unlock the political crisis, but the latter refused. Elsewhere in the news, the financial crisis kills university specialties. Last but not least, Chinese tractor producer Hoyo Agricultural Machinery Equipment opened its first overseas plant in Central Romania.

Romania’s incumbent president Traian Basescu asked Interior minister Dan Nica to quit, as to unlock the political crisis, but Nica refused, Romania Libera reads. The two met on Wednesday evening at Cotroceni Palace for discussions. Nica said he would not make them public. Nica said he asked the President to take measures as soon as possible and suggested that everything was an „image game”, confessing he did not understand why the President did not sign Boc’s request to see him sacked. According to the Interior minister, it is PM Emil Boc who should quit or be laid off, for his „shameless lies”.

Dan Nica said that Boc’s gesture must have been triggered by Basescu’s decision to see Vasile Blaga, the President’s campaign chief, ruling the Interior Ministry. According to him, the Boc-Basescu tandem was not related with Romania’s realities. The social-democrat regretted having set up the pact for Romania, saying it has changed to be about how to steal Romania. He concluded by stating that after he left the party, the elections would be stolen.

The financial crisis kills university specialties, Evenimemtul Zilei informs. High studies institutions dissolve BA and MA programmes to reduce costs. The University from Bucharest stopped teaching Chemistry and Physics in English and French because any such specialty could not attract more than 20 students. Some of the professors, left with incomplete norms, are forced to go into research for the time being. Plus, those over 65 will not see their contract renewed.

In West Romania, the West University from Timisoara wiped quite a few programmes off the specialisation lists, also resorting to cutting lunch tickets for professors and reducing vacancies. In East Romania, the University from Bacau started to save even before the crisis: they grouped study programmes, kept salaries at their minimum and gave up several specialties, namely History and Physics Engineering. With the money saved, the institution opened a library, a three-star students’ hall and a cafeteria. But because of the crisis, the university cannot afford to hire new staff.

The tractor factory from Brasov (Central Romania) died, but it made way for machines „made in China”, Cotidianul reads. Hoyo Agricultural Machinery Equipment opened a factory in Rasnov-Brasov and it aims to reach a production capacity of 20.000 tractors by 2012, Romanian press agency NewsIn informs. The investment is estimated to be around 50 million dollars. It currently employs ten people, but it will hire up to 500, among which staff from ex-Romanian factory Tractorul, who bring the necessary experience.

The Chinese tractor costs start from 6.500 euros, much cheaper compared with the Romanian tractor, which used to be sold with 15,000 euros. Romanian farmers are to benefit from „bonus-programmes”, having the opportunity to apply for funds in order to buy tractors. The new factory from Brasov is the company’s fifth plant, but the first outside China.