National Press Review, 5 August

"How did Bechtel rip off Romania", the Evenimentul Zilei writes. The newspaper claims that the astronomical prices Bechtel charged Romania were possible because of the secret annexes of the contract with the Romanian state for the construction of the Transylvania Motorway.

The National Company of Motorways and National Roads paid the American firm three times more money for building materials than they would have had they worked with a national firm.
Thus, building one km of motorway cost EUR 16 million, although the normal cost is EUR 5-6 million.

Actually, the contract signed in 2004 provided the latter cost. Moreover, for each square metre of grass planted in the Turzii-Gilău area, Bechtel charged EUR 1 112. In April 2009 alone, the Americans charged over EUR 150 000 for sowing grass.

After the Romanian state managed to cancel the damaging contract the other days, in September they will hold the first auction for continuing the construction of the Transylvania Motorway.

About the same topic, the România Liberă writes: "Bechtel lives after building 28% of Transylvania Motorway and collecting 68% of total cost."

The fact that since 2004 the Government has managed poorly this contract and that this subsequently delayed the contract's cancellation cost us over EUR 500 million, according to the newspaper.

"Transylvania a never-ending motorway ", the Adevărul writes. After Bechtel gave up on six sections of the project, the Minister of Transports have no a concrete plan to complete the construction of the motorway between Brasov and Borș. Six ministerial mandates, over EUR 1 billion spent and only 52 kilometers built. That is, until now, the history of Transylvania Motorway.

The România Liberă tries to discover "What remains after Czeke’s resignation".

The next Minister of Health will be compelled to take only unpopular measures: will have to take responsibility for the new health law, which provides the privatization of certain hospitals and breaking up the monopoly of the National House of Insurance, the main manager of the insured peoples’s money.

Among the 21 ministers who have been at the head of the Minister of Health in the last 20 years, none of them succeeded in reforming the system. The fight against medicine manufacturers and the impossibility to sell complementary health insurance have been insurmountable obstacles.

This is the conclusion of the Romania Liberă. In turn, the Evenimentul Zilei examines the political side of the Minister of Heath’s resignation of Health Minister and writes:

"UDMR replaces Czeke, but won’t take any more blows below the belt." It looks that a struggle is taking place between the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) for pride and money over the control of the National House ofHealth Insurance, the real "troublemaker."

"Police torn to shreds", the Jurnalul Naţional writes on its front page, arguing that "the reform, poorly applied, threatens to undermine legal order in Romania and weaken the Government’s authority.” The newspaper starts its analysis with the recent announcement of the

Minister Traian Igaș that the dismissal procedures are ongoing and about ten thousand policemen, gendarmes, firemen and other staff will be made redundant. These layoffs are necessary not only for financial reasons but also because all sorts of people that are not actually doing their job have been employed.

The question is: those sent to find a decent and lucrative job will be the parasites from the public order system, relatives of all sorts, grandchildren, well-connected people?

Chief Commissioner Constantin Asofronie is convinced that: "We will get rid of neither the well-connected or incompetent employees, but of the valuable staff."

"FNI case - reopened by Prosecutor's Office " the Jurnalul Naţional writes, revealing the reason why prosecutors have taken this decision, namely the fact that the police has not focused enough on the role of businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vântu in the collapse of the National Investment Fund (FNI). "Last chance for injured parts to recover their money".

This is how the Evenimentul Zilei sees the reopening of this ten-year old case. The newspaper claims that investigators have never checked the accounts of the final beneficiary, Vântu, as he has always managed to get away with it. "Vântu chased by everyone", the Adevărul writes, showing that now, after the reopening of the case, they will look particularly for the money that Sorin Ovidiu Vântu used for his business.

Translated by: Denisse-Meda Bucura
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University