Romania’s national dailies of Tuesday give coverage to Romania’s energy security problems currently considered by the competent authorities, the latest developments within the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Budget rectification approved on Monday, a stocktaking of the Bucharest Stock Exchange at its 11th anniversary and the resignation of the chairman of the Romanian Press Club.
Romania libera wonders if the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) will declassify the contract for the privatisation of Petrom, remarking that, as usual in crisis situations, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu received the unexpected visit of President Traian Basescu, who decided to get involved in the resolution of the crisis. It reports that the Minister of Economy and Trade Codrut Seres and Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu convened in a meeting at the Government House that lasted almost one hour. All sources confirmed that President Basescu’s presence at the meeting related to Romania’s energy security issue.
The paper also remarks that the meeting is a prelude to the session of the Supreme Council for National Defence scheduled for November 22 that will scrutinise the privatisation contracts for Petrom and energy distribution companies.
Evenimentul zilei remarks that the suspicions surrounding the privatisation contract of Petrom will be a topic for discussion today at a meeting of Tariceanu and OMV Chairman Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer, after Basescu met the OMV official on Monday for the same reason.
The paper quotes Tariceanu as saying solutions will be sought starting with the OMV profits to ease the burden on consumers as a result of increases in gas prices and as excluding renegotiations over the privatisation of Petrom.
Cotidianul remarks that things have suddenly hastened within PNL as PNL national leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who is to undergo leg surgery abroad in the days ahead, out of the blues asked on Monday for a meeting with Stolojan, a former national leader of PNL last month expelled from the party for his dissenting political platform. Stolojan is quoted as refusing to see Tariceanu on Monday and as saying he will consider the proposal of Tariceanu, but only under the conditions imposed by his followers.
Evenimentul Zilei remarks that the Stolojan-Stoica following and the group of Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur, who stepped down as PNL Deputy Chairman last week, on Monday decided to join sides to support Stolojan’s platform in discussions with the PNL leading board.
Ziua quotes Chairman of the National Liberal Youth (TNL) Cristian Adomnitei as saying most of the Liberal young members are supporting PM Tariceanu and argue the aim of the Theodor Stolojan-Valeriu Stoica grouping is to destroy PNL.
The fourth Budget rectification this year has effected larger Government receipts than expected but their utilisation is out of synch with their collection, Bursa says, adding that the Government has decided to redirect the additional revenues to the pension and social security schemes.
The papers inform that editor-in-chief of daily Gandul Cristian Tudor Popescu on Monday announced he was resigning as chairman of the Romanian Press Club (CRP), carrying an open letter of Popescu to his CRP colleagues.
In a short interview to Jurnalul National, Popescu says he is reigning because things have changed in the press and the journalist component of the CRP is increasingly less evident while the part of the employers is rising as money invested in the media increases.
Ziarul Financiar remarks that the first census on the traders operating on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) reads 30,000 investors, and the number, according to the BVB chairman will increase ten folds by 2010.
Evenimentul Zilei informs that Steaua Bucharest soccer club will play this evening its last home match in this year’s Champion League competition against Dinamo Kiev, which will be trying to win the third place in Group E to secure qualification to the UEFA Cup. ROMPRES
