What the newspapers say: December 17, 2007

Russian olygarch Igor Zyuzin holds a determinant stand in the Romanian construction sector, one newspaper reads on Monday. Another newspaper writes about the Liberals alternative for Presidency in the 2009 elections. Elsewhere in the news, Henry Kissinger analyzes the political stage in Romania as he just visited the country.

Cotidianul reads that Russian olygarch Igor Zyuzin plays the cards in the Romanian construction sector. The group controlled by Zyuzin, Mechel International holds three metalurgical units in Romania that produce fastening iron, the core material used constructions.

Their recent acquisition Ductil Steel Buzau is still to be approved by the Competition Council. According to the instution, Mechel will hold 45% of the fastening iron market which might be a problem.

Competition Council representatives said that a meeting has been arranged with the group in order to diffuse the fears that the company plans to get a monopoly on the market. Moreover, they argued that a written engagement will be set up in order to legally force the group to comply with competition standards.

Zyuzin comes 458th in the Forbes top 100 richest people in the world with a fortune of some 2.1 billion dollars, earned in the steel industry.

On the political side, Liberal Party (PNL) vice-president Crin Antonescu talks for Evenimentul Zilei about his party strategy in the upcoming 2009 presidential elections.

Antonescu reveals that he plans to run for the presidency if picked by his party members for such a candicacy. Still, he admits that his party lacks an identity regarding its supporters.

The PNL vice-president talks about the changes he envisions for the party to face new elections and puts forward some lines that will be undertaken by the Liberal government in 2008.

Among those, Antonescu assures its electorate that PNL will not cooperate with the Social Democrats (PSD) in the government.

Romania Libera reads about the recent visit paid by Henry Kissinger to Romania and his analysis of the political stage here. The American statesman is a man concerned with limits, and judges politics and politicians accordingly.

Thus, he sees three types of political men in Romania: those forcing the limits, the average ones acting within the boundaries and the foolish who overcome their limits and imperil the life of other people.

Kissinger says that Romania has changed since his last visit in 1969 as part of Nixon’s team. Moreover, he adds that even though poverty is still present, Romanians are open to investments, hopes and development.

He visited Romania at the invitation of a news television channel.