With a 7% budgetary deficit, Romania's agreement with the IMF is endangered, one newspaper reads on Wednesday. Elsewhere in the news, Bucharest authorities plan to spend some 22 million euro to green up parks across the capital city despite the crisis. Last but not least, the scandal surrounding private university Spiru Haret determines politicians to take stands in its defense, starting with the President.

With a 7% budgetary deficit, Romania's agreement with the IMF is in danger, Cotidianul reveals. Romania's Economy minister Adriean Videan advanced the worse budgetary deficit estimate at 7% of GDP. IMF targets needs to be re-negotiated and if the IMF refuses, our country can kiss good bye the rest of the money.

Romania's budgetary deficit will exceed the targets set by the IMF and will most probably register 7%, Adriean Videan said for a local news television. The economic contraction will register around 6% or a little below it.

Videanu's GDP estimate is a bit more optimistic than the one presented last week by Finance minister Gheorghe Pogea. Pogea declared on July 15 that Romania's economy might contract this year by 6.5% to 7.1%.

The newspaper reminds its readers that, after the budgetary change in April, a 4.6% budgetary deficit and a 4% economic contraction were put forward by authorities. Considering this situation, Economy minister declared that the agreed targets need to be renegotiated with the IMF.

IMF Romania representative Mihai Tanasescu thinks that authorities might be able to modify the terms of the agreement considering the new economic situation.

Bucharest authorities plan to spend some 22 million euro to green up parks across the capital city, defying the economic crisis, Evenimentul Zilei warns. The money is to be spent in installments, for the next four years. Even so, this sum is enough to buy 400 2 bedroom apartments in Bucharest at an average price of 55,000 euro, the newspaper reads.

The main credit coordinator of the Bucharest Parks Administration is Radu Popa and his direct bosses, Bucharest mayor Sorin Oprescu and Bucharest General Council President, Calin Murg blame Popa for the plans.

The plan is to bring exotic trees from Japan, Mexic or Canada to embellish the parks, among other things.

Last but not least, like any other "respectable" scandal, politicians intervene to take sides, Romania libera reads. This time, President Basescu together with Social Democrats chief Mircea Geoana and Marian Vanghelie defend Spiru Haret University, accused to issuing some 100,000 licence diplomas among which most illegal.

Social Democratic leaders threatened Education minister Ecaterina Andronescu that they will withdraw their political support if she will try to put an end to "the diploma factory", as Spiru is now widely known as.

President Basescu did not miss the opportunity to take a stand on the issue and declared that the whole scandal is a conspiracy put forward by state universities and union members against private universities, that gained more and more ground in the past years.