What the newspapers say: January 30, 2008

Miercuri, 30 ianuarie 2008, 9:03 English | Press Review

EU officials once again take position against corruption and against the lack of reform in Romania. Serene, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu ignores all EU warnings in the already downgraded economy and aims at the highest budget deficit he is allowed to reach. No wonder the elder once again face a medication crisis, with distributors refusing to provide drug stores with any more products, unless prices are updated with the inflation rate.

The European Union must intervene actively in order to fight corruption in Romania: this is the conclusion reached by Dutch Jan Marinus Wiersma, vice president of the Socialist group in the European Parliament. In case the EU refrains from intervening, it will see its own interests affected, the MEP warned, according to Romania Libera.

Back in Bucharest, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu announced that the Government will use the maximum possible out of the 3% budgetary deficit planned for this year, in order to invest in agriculture, infrastructure and environment, in an attempt to reduce the differences between Romania and the other EU states, Cotidianul informs.

Same Prime Minister was subject in a new scandal: a former Liberal local leader from the Gorj county filed a criminal complaint against Tariceanu on Tuesday, accusing him of abuse in office. Adrian Gorun, the alleged victim, says that Tariceanu replaced him from the deputy minister office in the Education Ministry because he was put under pressure by another Liberal "baron", Dan Ilie Morega. same Cotidianul reads.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Eugen Nicolaescu is inches away from causing a new medication crisis. Distributors say that the fall of the Romanian currency, RON, must lead to a price alignment, the law allows it, but the minister still analyzes whether the demand has grounds or not. After two months of waiting, distributors say they will stop providing medicines to drug stores, Gandul reads.