Traian Basescu (the General Mayor of Bucharest) and Adrian Nastase (the presiden

The General Mayor of Bucharest, Traian Basescu, had to meet the Prime Minister Adrian Nastase yesterday to discuss about the municipal projects financed by the European Bank of Investments (EBI). There was also present the Capital’s prefect Ovidiu Grecea.

This happens given the fact that at the last Municipal Council’s meeting, Basescu made a great fuss when the prefect Grecea asked for a week long delay in order that these projects could be discussed with the Prime Minister also. The meeting should have taken place due to the fact that the projects needed the approval of the Ministry of Finance.

Like nothing ever happened, Basescu, Nastase and Grecea met at the Victoria Palace, but none of them commented upon this subject. The General Mayor of the Capital refused making any comments, and the prefect Grecea immediately turned his phone off, probably both being afraid about saying something to regret later.

Only the Government’s spokeswoman, Despina Neagoe, tried to explain saying that the Prime Minister agrees with these projects having the Executive’s support in order that the EBI will have governmental warranties. The local component of this financing is to be supported by the General Council of the Capital, without being involved any money from the state budget. Grecea’s and Basescu’s silence, the most talkative members of the local administration, is suspect. It looks like the discussions at the Government headquarters haven’t been as friendly as the spokeswoman tried to let fall.

DECISION. The General Council of Bucharest approved, four days ago, three of the projects financed by EBI: the underground parking at Gara de Nord (the North Train-Station), the trams’ modernization, the rehabilitation of the streets. The decision about a similar project, the building of the Arcade over the Basarab Train-Station, has been postponed for a future meeting. (Monica Andrei).