National Press Review, January 4

"Over 100 kilometres of highway in 2011. Is there any chance?"– the România Liberă asks.

The newspaper’s analysis is not exactly optimistic, since work on the road sections in the eastern and western sides of the country which the Ministry of Transportations promises we will be using this year, are far behind.

This year may, therefore, be one in which Romanians won’t benefit of new kilometres of highway, although they pay fuel, vignettes and car taxes to the state.

Meanwhile – the România Liberă also states – the asphalt kings are doing well, with significant profit margins.

The Jurnalul Naţional resumes its attacks against the Ministry of Transportation, which – the newspaper reads today – is now using the brand of the country, built for external promotion, to actually persuade Romanians not to go to other countries for their vacations.

Two millions euros are being used to convince Romanians to spend their holidays in the Carpathian Garden and not other gardens – the Jurnalul Naţional debates under the headline "Elena Udrea wants to tie Romanian tourists up to the land".

The analysis of the Adevărul is slightly more positive in regards to the evolution of the labour market in the new year. "2011 brings jobs in IT, banking and sales".

The specialists in Human Resources consider that the labour market would especially unfreeze in the second half of the year- the Adevărul details.

Other topics in today’s newspapers. Question in the Gândul : "Why does a City Hall pay 35 million euros for grass?".

The answer: "Because the law allows it."

Specifically, this money will be paid by a district hall in the Capital, in four years, to a single company, for work in – and we quote – "landscaping".

That is what the Public Administration should do, but cannot do anymore, since they massively reduced the green spaces staff.

The Gândul summarizes, in a slightly amused tone: this is how the reform of the Administration looks like – people are being fired from PRA, then millions of euros are being spent on private companies that... water and cut the grass.

We conclude with the Evenimentul Zilei where we can read about an anthropologist from Budapest, a young man who lived for a year and a half in Ferentari in order to document his doctoral thesis.

About Ferentari, anyone who hasn’t been there... knows everything: shady people, garbage thrown out on the window, power thefts, drugs.

The young Hungarian PhD happened to buy fresh milk in the morning from an old man in the neighbourhood.

He also happened to spend time on the streets and not get assaulted by anyone.

Also – the Evenimentul Zilei continues - he happened to be happy in the small apartment building in Ferentari, although the rent was quite high. "I only had trouble with the dogs"– the Hungarian adds; when it is ready, he wants to see his paper published in Romania, also.

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