National Press Review, January 18

The Minister is heading to the tax heaven after the oil moguls’ money, headlines the Gândul on the front page.

The Head of Finance states that there are signs of some oil moguls hiding their money in tax heavens.

The oil moguls say they are not afraid of regulations, the newspapers claims.

Regarding the boycott of gas stations, they believe that if the reason is price increase, then they should also boycott potatoes.

The Evenimentul Zilei contacted a number of specialists to find solutions for decreasing fuel prices.

The conclusion – the state is the only one that could intervene at this point to reduce fuel prices, by tax reduction, a measure that the British government, also, intends to take.

The Jurnalul Naţional, for a change, debates upon the protests of Romanians against gas stations.

A protest with the mouse, the publication outlines ironically and explains – the boycott stayed online only.

The oil moguls would theoretically lose about 23 million euros in one day of total boycott.

Although there have been isolated protest in several parts of the country, practically the majority of the Romanians just gave "like" on Facebook, placed the link to the website promoting the protest as their messenger status, filled each other’s emails with Spam and then went quietly to the gas station to get their gas tanks filled up.

From gas prices to local taxes. There is good news, too.

The Adevărul informs us today that the majority of the municipalities kept the taxes on housing, lands and cars, to the level charged in 2010.

Compared to last year, there only was an increase in taxes for multiple properties and for cars with large cylindrical capacity.

The Jurnalul Naţional argues, instead, on the announcement related to the Property Fund being listed on the stock market, after three years of speculations with its titles.

Basically, the newspaper found out that over 50 per cent of the Fund’s actions have been sold on the gray market since 2008, transactions that were estimated to over 600 million euros.

In the same register, Evenimentul Zilei advises us on the steps required to sell actions of the Property Fund on the Stock Market.

This way, former owners compensated with these titles will be able to trade them freely and in the open starting next Tuesday.

For this, they need to open an account with a broker.

Switching to politics, the România Liberă is concerned today, on the front page, about the Democrat Liberal Party.

The DLP, the Criminal Wing, the newspaper headlines and explains:

The poor selection of personnel and the spectacular growth of the party are the main reasons why the number of Liberal Democrats with files at the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Investigation Directorate for Organized Crime and Terrorism have increased in the last period of time.

On the other hand, The Adevărul reads about two projects initiated by the Liberal Democrats, also having the support of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party, which stipulates the modification of electoral laws for the purpose of electing mayors and congressmen in a single round.

The newspaper also records the position of liberals who are accusing the Liberal Democrats of political games in order to convenience their own elected.

The Gândul carries an analysis on this topic.

The sociologists invited to respond believe that, at least apparently, the Liberal Democratic Party could be advantaged by these changes.

We conclude with the Evenimentul Zilei who reads on the front page about the new flu, which has returned and will stay another few years.

The Influenza Pandemic Virus has come back aggressively in Europe and on Sunday, made its first victim in Romania.

The newspaper’s warning to the readers is clearly "protect yourselves’ as the virus will circulate everywhere in the next years, too.

Translated by: Manuela Stancu
MA Students, MTTLC, Bucharest University