National Press Review, January 25

‘Congressmen have business with the state worth 258 million euros’ - the Gândul headlines on the front page.

In terms of political division, business goes almost symmetrically with the distribution of seats: 24 congressmen for the Liberal-Democratic Party, 20 for the Social-Democratic Party, 15 for the National-Liberal Party and 9 seats for the Hungarian-Romanian Democratic Party, and one each for the Conservatives, the Progressives, the Independents and the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania.

The list includes names such as Elena Udrea, Sorina Plăcintă, Silviu Prigoană, Valeriu Tabără, Verestoy Attila, Dan Nica, Relu Fenechiu, Dan Voiculescu.

However, in terms of value of the contracts they are not among the leaders, but some less known congressmen. Absolute champion is the Liberal-Democratic Party Senator Petru Başa, who owns no less than 617 contracts closed with state institutions in the last two years, almost all being obtained by direct custody.

‘Băsescu – booed and whistled at on the Unification Day’ - headlines the Jurnalul Naţional, which underlines that the times when Băsescu was surrounded by loving people are long gone.

‘The great division of the Little Unification’- is the title in the Adevărul, which reads, quote: ‘thousands of people chanted ‘Thieves’, ‘Shame on you’, named the Head of State ‘country vendor’, during the speech he held in the Unification Square. The opposition was accused of bringing to Iaşi hundreds of anti-Băsescu agitators .

The Gândul claims to know ‘Who booed and who applauded Traian Băsescu, quote: ‘In Focşani,, the Head of State was welcomed with bread and salt by local officials and booing from some representatives of military people in reserve. In Iaşi, the moment when the President arrived in the Unification Square, the booing covered the national anthem and honour presented by the guard. The booing continued, even when wreaths were being laid. Ministers Elena Udrea and Teodor Baconschi were subject to the same kind of treatment.’

A figure that does not miss from any newspaper published today: ‘over six thousand military pensioners sued the state, in Bucharest alone, threatening to block the courts’ activity. Meanwhile, the Government announced they are postponing the recalculation by the end of the year.

In the same context, the Government's strategy for military pensions recalculation stirred discontent among the coalition partners – we learn from the Gândul, which quotes the declaration of the leader of the parliamentary minority, Varujan Pambuccian: ‘It is not okay to always make a fool of yourself with this things. If you don't know what the results will be, you don't start the process’- end of quote.

‘One million false patients in the Capital’- Adevărul headlines on the front page. The President of the National Health Insurance House, Lucian Duţă, accused family doctors of making money by declaring more insured people than they really are.

According to the data recorded by the Information System of NHIH, family doctors in the Capital declared 2,5 million patients, compared to 1,6, which is the actual number. Also, it was found that there are doctors who gave fictive prescriptions, and the actual beneficiaries did not match the names and Personal Numeric Codes on file.

The Evenimentul Zilei puts under scrutiny ‘the reform of Igaş ‘and reaches the conclusion, that ‘policemen are leaving, militiamen are staying’ and explains: ‘the lack of experience and discipline are the main criteria that will be taken into account in April, when no less than 10.000 civil servants with special status (including policemen, border guards, military police officers and firemen) will be dismissed from the Ministry of Administration and Interior.

The legal draft that regulats this ‘crisis measure, signed by Traian Igaş and contested by the main trade unions in the Ministry of Interior stipulates this’.

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