President Basescu prepares to address the Parliament today, in his attempt to form a new majority, but all possible alliances are still hazy. The newspapers have mixed messages, starting with Social Democrats - the main Opposition party - joining the new government and ending with the same party firmly refusing any collaboration with Basescu.

Headlines in Evenimentul Zilei read that Social Democrats (PSD) refused Basescu's suggestion to participate in throwing out the government led by PM Tariceanu, considering the move as a trap "designed to lead to early elections". The same article informs that PSD leaders already demanded private a meeting with Tariceanu.

Gandul, on the other hand, mentions the scission within PSD, with the honorary president Ion Iliescu firmly against helping Basescu overthrow Tariceanu and the head of party, Mircea Geoana, still not decided in either direction.

On Monday, PSD spokesman Cristian Diaconescu announced that the party may support the Democrat motion against the Tariceanu cabinet. PSD head Geoana also had chosen to offer a hazy statement about "the constructive attitude of president Basescu who feels, just like we do, the need for a stable and competent government".

One thing is sure: Basescu will address the Parliament today, asking the institution to support the priorities he announced while being suspended. A transparent and stable majority and a governmental cabinet able to function until the following elections are the main issues to be discussed today.

The temporary cabinet will have to deal with the management of the local and parliamentarian elections in 2008 and the European Parliament elections this year, Cotidianul reads.

Basescu may also plead in favor of the Lustration law, the same newspaper informs.

Evenimentul Zilei sees Basescu as "entering the 322 lions cage" in order to read his diagnosis on the political life and suggest the lines to be followed in order to solve the political crisis.

It seems that a Government formed by Liberals, Social Democrats and Hungarian Minority representatives is a solution agreed by the presidency, but only until 2008. The new cabinet, led by the same PM, should only be approved by the Parliament.

Meanwhile, the main supporters of president Basescu, the Democrats (PD), finished formulating a motion against the Tariceanu cabinet and seem to have gathered all the signatures required to table it, Cotidianul reads.

Still, the latest TV news on Wednesday indicate that the presidential speech may be subject to a boycott, several deputies and senators instigating their colleagues to leave the room as Basescu enters.

Cotidianul publishes a large analysis on Wednesday, discussing the chances for a Lustration law to be accepted by the Parliament. According to the article, not only PSD - largely seen as formed by the Communist nomenclature - would suffer from this law, but also all the parties represented in the Parliament, including their leaders.

"There's a 50/50 chance for such a law to pass", the newspaper reads, "and even so, it may be rejected by the Constitutional Court".

In other news:

- Cotidianul: The Arpechim shut down rumors make Petrom lose 448 million euros of its stock exchange capitalization in one day.

- Jurnalul National: "Romania must refuse the Italian garbage". With a slight delay, the Romanian institutions react to the articles in "Corriere della Sera" and "Il Giornale" referring to Naples' authorities trying to sent 15,000 tons of waste to Romania.

- Cotidianul: The controversial car registration tax may see its new, decreased, values coming into force after January 1, 2008. The car tax almost brought the Romanian government to court, with the European Union upset due to "discriminatory tax levels".

- Romania Libera: Direct foreign investments worth 2,9 billion euros created 33,450 jobs in Romania, mainly in industry and retail.

- Evenimentul Zilei: Smoking may be banned for good starting in 2008, including in pubs, restaurants, coffee shops and offices.