What the newspapers say: October 26, 2010 

The state cannot claim a tax for the two highways in Romania until 2012 even though a document on the government’s table, with the approval of the Transports and Finance ministries reads otherwise. In politics, Liberals suspect that the Social Democrats have no interest to overthrow the government. Elsewhere in the new, lawyers submitted paperwork for the first collective trial against a bank in Romania. Moldovans received an important support from the EU: foreign affairs ministers mandated the EC to set up an action plan to eliminate visas for Moldovan citizens.

Gandul contradicts a document that rests on the government’s table, approved by the Finance and Transports ministries which reads that the state can charge a tax for the two highways in Romania.

The newspaper reads that the state cannot introduce such a tax because the maintenance of the two highways was attributed to some companies and contracts expire in 2012. Until then, the state cannot impose a new tax on the highways.

The reason is well known by Transports officials, the newspaper reads, because the European Commission interdicts double taxation for infrastructure. Transports minister Anca Boagiu claims that the tax was demanded by the EC, because it wants to make sure Romania has enough money to maintain the highways that will be build with European funds.

Gandul reads that the Liberals suspect the Social Democrats that they would not like the government to fall. The two opposition parties allied against the governing coalition and submitted a motion of censure against the government.

The motion will be debated and voted on Wednesday, October 27 and tensions sprang up. The newspaper reads that divergences between the two opposing parties seem just as big as those between the governing parties. Even though they sign the motion, Liberals do not seem to forge a deal for the PM or the ministers who will make up the government.

According to sources quoted by the newspaper, Liberals suspect Social Democrats because they postpone naming a PM and setting up a strategy. On Monday, after new talks, the Liberal leader announced that nothing was decided.

Romania libera reads that lawyers submitted the paperwork for the first collective trial against a bank in Romania. Lawyers representing 362 dissatisfied clients of BCR bank, one of the biggest in Romania, submitted the necessary paperwork for the trial to begin.

This is the first collective trial against a bank in Romania. In the last three months more and more dissatisfied clients organized online, in groups to discuss about their problems and about the new financial rules introduced through a new ordinance, ordinance 50/2010.

Volksbank clients were the first to organize online and soon followed other banks’ clients. The groups reunite almost 7,000 people.

Evenimentul Zilei reads that Foreign Affairs ministers from the EU mandated the Commission to set up an action plan to eliminate visas for Moldovan citizens. The newspapers read that the move proves that the ministers admit Moldova’s progress in reforms and democracy building.

Moreover, the same document confirms the availability of the EU to financially support Moldova and announce that the EU will offer Moldova grants worth 90 million euro.