All newspapers on Tuesday read about a new party born on the Romanian political stage after the fusion of the Democrats (PD) with the Liberal Democrats. In the same vein, Liberals (PNL) distrust the opposition Social Democrats (PSD), one paper believes, as rumors spread over the past several days of a possible alliance between the two groups just to be dismissed by the PSD. And one newspaper reads about the chaos created on the National Day with the lighting of the biggest Christmas tree in Europe in Bucharest, December 1.

Cotidianul reads that the Democrats (PD) and Liberal Democrats (PLD) will merge to create a new party, the Democrat Liberals (PDL), as party leaders announced in a joint press conference on Monday.

Today, the two parties will officially propose the project to their members and submit it to validation. According to insider sources, President Traian Basescu himself urged the fusion between the parties, known for their common support for the head of state, the paper claims.

The paper quotes Liberal vice-president Ludovic Orban saying that “The President ordered, the two executed”, suggesting that the newborn party is the President’s satellite.

Gandul reads that PLD had survived as an independent group so far only to take part at the European Parliament elections. The merger will be sealed once the January 2008 extraordinary congresses of the two parties meet.

Currently, Democrats leader Emil Boc will preside the new party assisted by two vice-presidents: one in the person of Stolojan, former leader of Liberal Democrats and another one assigned by the Democrats.

Romanian libera quotes several politicians that argue that the decision did not come as a surprise, since the Liberal Democrats and Democrats alike were competing for the favors of the President.

Thus, some argue that the newborn party is a natural step forward and that the name of the party should have been the Presidential Party.

More in the news, Gandul reads that the governing Liberals avoid opening up talks with Social Democrats for a possible governing alliance, fearing the would a Trojan horse of the President.

The Social Democrats officially announced on Monday they would stick to the opposition, despite earlier rumors that talks were about to open on a possible partnership between them and the PNL. The Liberals distrust the Social Democrats and avoid any talks on the issue.

The main fear is that President Basescu will point fingers at the collaboration and accuse PM Tariceanu of holding his seat by any means possible.

Also in the newspapers today, Evenimentul Zilei reads that the 70,000 people gathered on the National Day of Romania to witness the lighting of the biggest Christmas tree in Europe - in Unirii Square, downtown Bucharest - produced chaos on the streets.

The newspaper reads that the chaos was transmitted even on Euronews: images with tens of thousands of people wondering on the streets, ambulances and helpless police forces blocked by flocks.