Romanian newspapers on Monday deal with the luxury some Romanians live in, the schemes some have to follow to improve their lives and the big money some pay in real estate. Meanwhile, one newspaper interviews and defends one of its own journalists who was sent to court by President Basescu. And pre-electoral political deals change face following a Social Democratic congress this weekend.

Cotidianul interviews its own journalist, Cristian Oprea, who last week was summoned to court by President Basescu following a report by Oprea of how the head of state dismissed links to a controversial political deal involving his supporting party and the far right.

Oprea is the newspaper's correspondent to the presidential administration and about a month ago he published a report mocking Basescu's dismissal that he had anything to do with a deal between the Democrat Liberals (PDL) and the far-right Greater Romania Party. The head of state calls him to court demanding symbolic damages over that report.

Oprea reviews the history of relations between the president and the media and says tat Basescu was congratulating him until about a year ago. And he says the president might have been influenced by others in his stepping away from close links with the media.

Meanwhile, the same Cotidianul focuses on the congress held by the Social Democrats (PSD), the main opposition party, last weekend. It reports that the congress blew up an electoral protocol between the PSD and the smaller Conservative Party (PC), the party led by Dan Voiculescu, a businessman who's family owns a major media group in Romania.

The PC, which by itself has minimal chances to enter Parliament had reached a deal with the PSD to have its own candidates run in 25 electoral colleges with chances of success for the PSD-PC alliance. But this weekend the protocol was blown up by a PSD congress decision to provide only eight electoral colleges to the PC candidates.

Yet again in Cotidianul, as Romania watches its real estate market freeze, some Romanians have contracted millions for property investments. According to the newspaper, the two most important credit brokers in Romania have mediated several loans for private persons with values of over 1 million euro. One record loan is 3.7 million euro.

That comes as Romania has been facing a halt in property deals in large cities, especially when it comes to old apartments, the value of which has for the first time started to drop consistently this year.

Meanwhile, Gandul reports that in July, when a new tax on car registration was introduced, the registration of new cars in Romania dropped considerably, while the registration of used cars grew substantially. That is because new cars receive a higher tax because, according to the principles supported by minister Varujan Vosganian, they will be used longer and would thus be more polluting.

But that transforms Romania in a victim of "wreck invasion", as the newspaper puts it.

Last but not least, Evenimentul Zilei reports that Romanians spend huge money on luxury goods despite not having a very high standard of living. According to the newspaper, the sale of luxury cars and accessories doubled this year and big international brands pushed to announce their entrance in Romania.

According to the paper, some Romanians are spending big on exquisite perfumes and valuable cars and, while 80% of Romania cannot afford buying a house in cash, some are no longer interested in buying houses here and look to luxurious properties in Dubai or the Dominican Republic.