What the newspapers say: June 9, 2008

Important businessmen in Timisoara, West Romania managed to obtain some 640 acres of land which would allow them to negotiate with foreign investors like Mercedes, one newspaper reads on Monday. Elsewhere in the news, newspapers continue to cover the electoral battle for the Bucharest mayor seat. In the same vein, a politician was stabbed to death after trying to disarm a citizen threatening the electoral caravan.

Gandul reads about the strategies employed by various businessmen in Timisoara, West Romania to assure their financial success. With local political back-up from Democrat Liberals, a group of businessmen managed to procure some 640 acres of land which would allow them to negotiate with any foreign investor in the area.

The newspaper reads that over the past two years, important local businessmen bought some deserted, no-use lands from the peasants and managed with the help of the city hall to transfer them all together in a single area.

It seems that the exchange of land plots was fast, as county council meetings approved one after the other all decisions needed for the transfer of the land in one place. Journalists argue that a possible explanation would be the interest of foreign investors like Daimler Chrysler.

Total profits obtained after such real estate businesses is estimated at 60 million euro to say the least. The land obtained after the transfer is conveniently located near a highway authorities plan to build in the region.

Important investors like Peugeot, Renault and others are known to search for land in the area.

In politics, Evenimentul Zilei reads about independent Sorin Oprescu and his voters in Bucharest who seem to migrate from all parties. Oprescu managed to gain some 164.000 votes in the first round of elections for Bucharest mayor. Thus, he managed to encompass Vasile Blaga, the Democrat Liberal party’s candidate, a party credited at 36% in Bucharest.

In the last couple of years, Oprescu has positioned himself wisely, the newspaper reads, against Romania’s President Traian Basescu. Journalists argue that this is the main reason for which he managed to gain important voters from parties against Basescu like the Social Democrats, Greater Romania Party, the Conservatives or the Liberals.

Naturally, Oprescu’s main voters came from the Social Democratic party, where Oprescu was a member for 16 years. Moreover, in various occasions, even though an independent, Oprescu was publicly supported by leaders of the party like former Romanian President Ion Iliescu and others.

Last but not least, a Democrat Liberal was stabbed to death during an electoral caravan, by trying to protect his colleagues, Cotidianul reads. Police investigation reveals the fact that a citizen was pissed off on the politician and when they returned, the former stabbed to death the PD-L member Anton Nedelcu.