What the newspapers say: October 1, 2010

Romanian newspapers on Friday discuss opposition Social Democrats’ plans to create a shadow government. One newspaper interviews the Ambassador of Germany to Bucharest, while another reads that the Tourism minister believes criticism of recent moves to introduce a tourism brand for Romania was caused by domestic and foreign attempts to compromise the image of Romania. The Steaua-Naples match on Thursday evening also features in today’s papers.

Romania Libera interviews Andreas von Mettenheim, the German Ambassador to Bucharest, who says his country was interested that Russia get closer to Europe as it is in the interest of Germany and the European Union to have better ties with the Russian Federation. He says Germany was interested in unsolved situations such as that in Transdniester. And he shows Germany has offered an active support to Romania’s EU and NATO accession but it may be that it neglected bilateral political dialog a bit lately.

Gandul quotes Tourism minister Elena Udrea, who has attacked criticism of a summertime move to introduce a tourism brand for Romania. As brand elements such as the logo have been criticized and the authors were accused of copying cheap logos from the Internet, minister Udrea is quoted as saying that all controversies linked to the launch of the tourism brand are the consequence of domestic and foreign attempts to compromise the image of Romania.

Newspapers also discuss attempts by the opposition Social Democrats’ (PSD) attempts to establish a shadow government to challenge the Democratic Liberal-dominated government in Bucharest. Evenimentul Zilei reads that prominent PSD official Adrian Nastase has already written PSD’s governing program and imagined a government structure formed of 13 ministries. A battle begins within the PSD for the nomination of the prime minister and of ministers, the paper reads.

Gandul also reads that the PSD would propose a government formed of 13 ministries with four other minister-delegates and consider a ministry to unite Administration, Interior Affairs and Regional Development, should it win elections.

Last but not least, newspapers discuss the match between Steaua and Naples in the Europa League on Thursday night. Although Steaua Bucharest was in the lead with 3-0, Naples managed to bring the score to 3-3, with the last goal scored in minute 90+8 despite the match being prolonged with only 4 minutes. „Steaua was executed by Naples Mafia-style!”, Evenimentul Zilei reads.