Wednesday, October 03, 2007

* ROMANIA's WONDERS *



Mogosoaia Palace – near Bucharest – It was build by Constantin Brancoveanu, the Muntenia ruler, between 1698 and 1702. This monument is now connected at two international cultural networks.

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IMF is optimistic

In 2007 and 2008 Romania's gross domestic product is going to grow with 6%. Albert Jaeger, head of the IMF mission in Romania and Bulgaria, estimated it yesterday. It is to be reminded that in the first term this year the GDP had a growth of only 5,8% and that Romania underwent severe drought last summer.
According to the initial draft on the 2008 budget, as presented by the Romanian economy minister Varujan Vosganian, the budget deficit is to reach 2,7% of the GDP. The current account deficit, the fiscal and salary policies, a possibility such of overheating economy and the international financial crisis are the main fears of Romanian economy. Jaeger also mentioned that the instability prevailing in Romanian politics was an obstacle against the making of the medium term economic strategies the state needed. He added the need was somehow illustrated by the funds Romania could get from the EU. The EU has got 7-year financial prospects, he claimed, and Romania needs planning for the exploitation of opportunities.
Another issue the IMF official raised was the pension system reform. He estimated Romania would face difficulties with it after 2008 and it needed a strategy for the time to come after 2009. (...)

F.B.
Ziua wednesday 3 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Lobby for bill against government


The President of Romania Traian Basescu came out yesterday to explain Presidency's view on the fate of the Social-Democrats' bill against the government. He announced that, if the Parliament passed the bill, he would talk to the parties and appoint a PM to try to establish a majority on the nucleus made by the PNL (National Liberal Party), the PD (Democrat Party) and the PLD (Liberal Democrat Party).
The officials of both Parliament Chambers are to debate on the bill against the government today at 12:00.
Choice for a Democrat PD
The President informed yesterday: "My choice is certainly a PD PM. This PM's duty is to make a team and a plan and find 50% plus 1 support in the Parliament. Unless the PM finds such support, although I will be taking all efforts to help him, I will make a second move: try to talk to the parliamentary parties and establish a national union government to govern till the following elections". The President added that, in case this failed too, then early elections would follow. Still he mentioned "But we know this is not the case and the second government will pass".
Olteanu and Hrebenciuc made a deal
The PSD (Social-Democrat Party) and the PNL agreed in yesterday's talks to vote against the bill against the government, parliamentary sources claim. The PSD wanted power in exchange for voting against their own bill, whereas the Liberals insinuated they would be willing to govern together with the PSD after the election of MEPs.
Sources also say the PSD delegation for talks was made up of Mircea Geoana, Cristian Diaconescu, Titus Corlatean and Viorel Hrebenciuc. On the other side, in the PNL delegation there were Bogdan Olteanu, Titus Gheorghiof, Puiu Hasotti and Crin Antonescu.
Imminent government changes
PNL sources mention that Liberal leaders such as Norica Nicolai and Puiu Hasotti suggested that, after the PSD reached derision, there should follow changes in the Tariceanu Cabinet. It mainly regards foreign minister Adrian Cioroianu, education minister Cristian Adomnitei and Justice minister Tudor Chiuariu. (...)

Roxana Andronic & Razvan Gheorghe
Ziua wednesday 3 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Europe's gypsies

Romanian criminals, mostly of Roma origin, have horrified the EU, which is why Romanian citizens are driven away from EU states.
Italy is threatening to make the law harsher and settle visas for the Romanians who want to travel there. Since 2006 until now in Italy there were arrested 76 Romanians for murder, 475 for rape, 700 for trafficking in humans and prostitution and no less than 20,000 for theft. The mayor of Rome warned Bucharest authorities that, unless they took the responsibility for the Romanian migrants, the issue might be tackled at EU level. Sandro Gozi, a president of the migration committee in the Italian Parliament, told ZIUA that Romanians might get to travel on visas again. The official pointed to the lack of any communication with Romanian MPs on Romanian migrants.
On the other hand, Codrut Seres has summoned the Italian ambassador to the foreign affairs committee in order to reproach him for the "xenophobe" attitude of the mayor of Rome.
Another measure Italy may take against all the Romanians might be repatriation on grounds of public security. The Party of Romanians in Italy is having demonstrations today in Rome to protest against Italian press offensives against the Romanian community.
Expelled because of threatening public security
Extremist organizations used Molotov cocktails against Rome people tents, asking them to leave. The Italian interior minister announced he was analyzing the idea to allow local authorities to expel community citizens, mostly Romanians, thought to be a menace against security in Italy.
Walter Veltron, a mayor of Rome, mentioned he asked the Italian interior minister Giuliano Amato and the Rome prefect Carlo Mosca to modify the normative decree, according to which repatriation is allowed only in case of threat against national security. Amato said he was thinking about meeting the Rome mayor's request and granting authorities with the right to expel community citizens if they were a threat against public security. The Italian minister is taking it for a means to help calm strain down in certain quarters where immigrants commit many crimes and also to fight against ultranationalist attitude, headed mostly against Roma people, an attitude that has lately been growing in Italy.
The community citizen status provides Romanians with the right to enter Italy. The Italian minister said he was standing by those heading his country to get jobs, but he outlined the need for means not to grant free access to those wishing to commit crimes. Amato claimed it was just a project for the time being, since it was not clear under which circumstances an EU citizen might be expelled from one member state. Last June the Italian minister released a report describing Romanians together with the Moroccans and Albanians as the most dangerous criminals in Italy.
The great migration
Due to Romania's EU membership and the elimination of visas, Romanian criminals have lately been heading mostly Spain and Italy. This is the reason why some gangs specialized in thefts are no longer here. This is what fuels the perception according to which criminality has been diminishing. Our criminals didn't retire, they just changed their action place for Spain and Italy. But when they are caught and sent home, criminality will have a significant growth. The latest event involving Romanians took place last week, when 1 Romanian was killed and 2 were severely injured by gun bullets in a quarter in northern Rome. (...)

Bogdan Galca
Ziua wednesday 3 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english