Brutal dictator Nicolae Ceausescu has been dead for 20 years, but
Romania remains dominated by his henchmen, the winner of this year’s
Nobel prize for literature says.

Herta Mueller, a small, raven-haired writer who grew up in Romania
and now lives in Germany, is in Stockholm to receive her award.  She is
a reticent speaker, but her message — born from experiencing the
bitterness Ceausescu’s repressive regime — is powerful.

“There is a legacy in Romania, a legacy of dictatorship,” Mueller
says through a translator. “The former Securitate and the former party
nomenclature are very closely networked in Romania and through
privatisation they have managed to occupy almost all the key positions
in society.”