All newspapers comment on the fact that the Parliament managed to modify the Referendum Law after its third attempt. The news is seen as bringing "an easier way to dismiss the suspended president, Traian Basescu" but, in fact, MPs may "have done it to themselves".
As for the rest, everything is the same as always: poor traffic will last for at least another five years, medical doctors continue to flee the country, UK daily newspapers find another family of gypsies to blame, even though they pay the rent and the Police sleeps on drugs.
"Every vote counts!" (Evenimentul Zilei), "President - easier to dismiss" (Gandul), "Majority of participants can dismiss president Basescu" (Jurnalul National), "He needs one Romanian more" (Cotidianul) are the main first page headlines today.
The Constitutional Court (CCR) decided yesterday that the referendum will be valid regardless the number of participants and that the president may be dismissed without having 50%+1 of the registered electors voting one way or the other
The problem is that all the panic has little ground to build on.
The latest polls indicate that the CCR decision comes in fact to help Basescu: as Hotnews.ro already informed and Cotidianul reads today, some 70% of Romanians will vote against the dismissal.
This didn't prevent analysts from reacting on Thursday. Political analysts Tom Gallagher and Vladimir Tismaneanu, as well as historian Dennis Deletant wrote a letter to the Swedish Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt, demanding the former UN and NATO peace commissioner to take note of the political situation in Romania.
"There are signs of debilitating the democracy, with a single purpose: to render the power to an illegitimate group of interests", the letter reads, according to Evenimentul Zilei.
With or without Basescu as president, over 1,000 medical doctors decided they had enough of low wages, poor hospitals and no career opportunities and submitted their forms to leave the country and work elsewhere, same Evenimentul Zilei reads.
Hopefully, they won't arrive in the UK, where being Romanian is enough to be pointed at or even make it to the first page. "Daily Mail" found 101 Roma citizens from Romania who dare to live "only ten minutes away from a property of the Queen".
The news is that these gypsies no longer live in parks, they just put up a picnic there sometimes. And, as a surprise, they pay the rent, 1,000 euros per month. Enough to make the news, right?
Not to speak about the other Somalia, Pakistani, Indian, Philippines, Afghan and Zimbabwe immigrants who make the local officials in Slough feel low on the happiness scale, according to Gandul.
Back to the everyday Romania: the Police found 60 kilograms of heroin in a Porsche they confiscated four years ago, when it was found carrying another 60 kilograms of the same substance. They just didn't make time to control the rest of the car, Evenimentul Zilei reads.
In other news:
- Gandul: Foreign investments at the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) grew over six times, compared to the same period last year, and had a positive sold of over 100 million RON (30 million euros).
- Cotidianul: Hungarian low-cost company Wizz Air threatens to move to the first place on the market, in its competition with the Romanian Blue Air.
- Gandul: The construction sites on the main national road in Northern Bucharest will affect the traffic for at least another five years. After the bridges and level crossings will be built, the works for a new subway route are to be launched.
- Jurnalul National: The Sibiu Jazz Festival begins on May 5, hosting artists like Didier Lockwood, Herbie Kopf and Dee Dee Bridgewater.
- Gandul: Romania may reach the average productivity rate of the European Union in 25-30 years, the Liberal Democrat head, Theodor Stolojan, estimates. In case there isn't some progress seen soon, the term may reach 50 years.
