Romania's Government plans shock therapy with local councils. Elsewhere in the news, 26,000 Romanian children grow up with relatives, while both parents work overseas. Last but not least, the fifth IMF loan instalment to Romania could be postponed if the Constitutional Court fails to pass the austerity measures on time.
Gandul focuses on the Romanian Government's intention to cut funds allocated to local councils by 22% and force them to sack up to 40% of their employees. Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu declared recently that tens of thousands of civil servants were going to be dismissed, without compensatory payments. Mayors who do not perform the cuts in 30 days after the emergency ordinance comes into force are going to respond "disciplinary, materially or penal". Bucharest Sector 2 mayor says these cuts mean heating system repairs for blocks of flats are cancelled. Plus some local councils will have to shut down because they cannot work with only a few people.
Adevarul promotes the situation of Romanian children left home, while their parents work overseas. 26 pupils from Timisoara in this situation play in a specialised centre. They see their parents every two-three months if they are lucky, while being raised by relatives. They keep in touch with their parents over the phone or internet. 26,000 children in Romania are in the same situation, while some are more fortunate and get to "keep" one of their parents close.
Evenimentul Zilei informs that the expected fifth IMF loan instalment, worth 850 million Euros, might be postponed because the Romanian Constitutional Court is delaying the adoption of the austerity measures. The money should be allocated on June 28, in Washington, when the Fund's board meets. IMF reps could visit Romania again in the second half of July, when the government might cut an important sum allocated
