Cristian Diaconescu
Encyclopedia
Cristian Diaconescu is a Romania
n jurist and politician. A member of the National Union for the Progress of Romania
(UNPR) and formerly of the Social Democratic Party
(PSD), he has sat in the Romanian Senate
since 2004, representing Constanţa County
from 2004 until 2008, and Bucharest
since then. In the Adrian Năstase
cabinet, he was Minister of Justice from March to December 2004; in the Emil Boc
cabinet, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2008 and 2009.
He and his wife Mariana have a daughter.
, Communist Romania
's secret police, ending as a 2nd Lieutenant and later recalling that his instruction was purely in regular combat. In April 1982, he entered the ruling Romanian Communist Party
, advancing from its mass organization, the Union of Communist Youth
. Although he denied having held any executive positions within the party, a 2008 investigation by Evenimentul Zilei
newspaper concluded that Diaconescu was promoted to a leadership office within the Association of Communist Students, and that he was judged a good student of Marxism
. Diaconescu graduated from the Law Faculty of the University of Bucharest
in 1983, also earning a PhD in Law in 2007. He was an associate professor at Hyperion University in 1993, a professor at the Carol I National Defence University
in 1997 and at the Institute of Law and International Relations from 1998 to 2000, and in 2004 was on the academic staff of the Spiru Haret University
in its International Relations and European Studies Faculty.
In 1983, he was an apprentice lawyer in Găeşti
; from 1983 to 1985, he worked as a judge at the Ilfov Agricultural Sector
courthouse, and from 1985 to 1989, he was a judge at the Sector 4
courthouse. During this period, he would sometimes travel to villages for trials; according to Silviu Curticeanu (a former high-ranked Communist), these were held before packed audiences forcibly brought there, with judges usually selected based on political criteria often handing out especially harsh sentences for the "preventive-educational" effect these were supposed to have. Following the 1989 Revolution
, from 1989 to 1990, he was a specialty inspector at the Justice Ministry, part of a team of youthful specialists who, as he recalled fifteen years later, unsuccessfully toured the country in an attempt to reshape the Communist-era justice system. Then, from 1990 to 1993, he was a diplomat in Romania's permanent delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE). From 1993 to 1995, working at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Diaconescu coordinated the cooperation section in the OSCE political–military field. From 1995 to 1996 he was again a diplomat, part of Romania's permanent mission to international organisations in Vienna
and deputy head of mission for the OSCE political–military and security fields. From 1996 to 1997, still a diplomat, he worked at the OSCE directorate of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In 1997-1998, at the same ministry, he headed the directorate for OSCE and cooperation with sub-regional structures. Continuing at the ministry, from 1998 to 2000 he headed its general law and consular directorate; among his attributes was that of chief negotiator for bilateral treaties on borders and minority rights. From May to December 2000, he was deputy general secretary of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
.
In December 2000, when the PDSR (PSD from 2001) returned to office
, Diaconescu became Secretary of State for Bilateral Affairs at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Serving until January 2004, he was chief negotiator for the border treaty with Ukraine
, for the basic political treaty with Russia
and for the law on Hungarians in states bordering Hungary
. He also joined the PSD in 2002. From January to March 2004, he was Secretary of State for European Affairs at the same ministry. From March to December 2004, he served as Minister of Justice. As such, he was responsible for conducting and closing negotiations with the European Commission
on the Justice and Home Affairs
chapter of the acquis communautaire; that November, he reported to the government that negotiations had been concluded, helping move Romania closer to European Union
accession. At the 2004 election
, which the PSD lost, he won a Senate seat, and chaired that body's defence, public order and national security committee. In 2005, he became a vice president of the PSD; that June, he was named PSD spokesman, a position he kept until January 2009, except during his mayoral campaign. (Additionally, in 2006, shortly before the National Anticorruption Directorate
announced it would question his wife in its investigation into the loss of €
1 million in state funds while she was a bank president, he announced he would resign his party positions partly in connection with this, but reversed course several days later.) Diaconescu reluctantly agreed to run for Mayor of Bucharest
in June 2008
, promising a doubling of the minimum monthly salary and an additional pension payment per year. He lost in the first round, coming in third with 13.2% of the vote. He was re-elected as senator in November 2008
, and the following month, he was named to the Boc cabinet
.
Upon winning confirmation as minister, among the priorities Diaconescu announced were a consolidation of Romania's position within the EU, including by pushing for ratification of the Lisbon Treaty; regional policy, including toward Moldova
and the Black Sea
area; and securing the rights of the Romanians of Serbia
. Later, in an interview, he added that improving relations with Russia
and China
was also on his agenda, as well as having the EU focus on energy security. He visited the United States
in May 2009, meeting with Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton and commenting that Romania continued to be a "trustworthy partner" for the US, in turn an "essential ally" of Romania. The issue of Moldova vividly appeared on the agenda during the April 2009 civil unrest
, when Diaconescu commented that the authorities there had "exceeded limits" by arresting protesters without explanation, requiring visas of Romanians wishing to enter the country, expelling all Romanian journalists, and "provoking" the Romanian government by accusing it of involvement in the events. He soon announced that Moldovans would be able to obtain Romanian citizenship more easily. Additionally, he had to deal with the sometimes tense situation faced by Romanian citizens living in Italy
and the United Kingdom
. Together with his PSD colleagues, Diaconescu resigned from the cabinet on October 1, 2009, in protest at the dismissal of vice prime minister and Interior Minister Dan Nica
.
In February 2010, Diaconescu sought election as PSD president, but withdrew from the race several hours before the party congress that would decide the winner opened. Subsequently, journalist Floriana Jucan alleged that Diaconescu had been subject to round-the-clock surveillance for ten days prior to the congress, and that party colleagues had carried out the monitoring in order to blackmail him. Near the end of the month, he resigned from the party and from its vice presidency, also filing a judicial complaint asking for an investigation into his surveillance. Initially sitting as an independent in Gabriel Oprea
's group, he followed the latter into the newly-founded UNPR, being elected honorary president in May.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n jurist and politician. A member of the National Union for the Progress of Romania
National Union for the Progress of Romania
The National Union for the Progress of Romania is a political party of Romania. The party was formed in March 2010 by a group of independents who had broken away from the Social Democratic Party and National Liberal Party and support President Traian Băsescu...
(UNPR) and formerly of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Romania)
The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always...
(PSD), he has sat in the Romanian Senate
Senate of Romania
The Senate of Romania is the upper house in the bicameral Parliament of Romania. It has 137 seats , to which members are elected by direct popular vote, using Mixed member proportional representation in 42 electoral districts , to serve four-year terms.-Former location:After the Romanian...
since 2004, representing Constanţa County
Constanta County
Constanța is the name of a county in the Dobruja region of Romania. Its capital city is also named Constanța.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 715,151 and the population density was 101/km². The degree of urbanization is much higher than the Romanian average. In recent years the...
from 2004 until 2008, and Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
since then. In the Adrian Năstase
Adrian Nastase
Adrian Năstase is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.He competed as the Social Democratic Party candidate in the 2004 presidential election, but was defeated by centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance candidate Traian Băsescu.He was...
cabinet, he was Minister of Justice from March to December 2004; in the Emil Boc
Emil Boc
Emil Boc is the Prime Minister of Romania, having served since December 2008. In June 2004, he was elected Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, the largest city in Transylvania. Boc is also the president of the Democratic Liberal Party, who designated him as Prime Minister in 2008. On October 13, 2009, his...
cabinet, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2008 and 2009.
He and his wife Mariana have a daughter.
Biography
He was born in Bucharest, where his father Mihai was a lawyer; he is a seventh-generation jurist. He completed his mandatory military service in 1978-1979 within a unit troops answering to the SecuritateSecuritate
The Securitate was the secret police agency of Communist Romania. Previously, the Romanian secret police was called Siguranţa Statului. Founded on August 30, 1948, with help from the Soviet NKVD, the Securitate was abolished in December 1989, shortly after President Nicolae Ceaușescu was...
, Communist Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
's secret police, ending as a 2nd Lieutenant and later recalling that his instruction was purely in regular combat. In April 1982, he entered the ruling Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
, advancing from its mass organization, the Union of Communist Youth
Union of Communist Youth
The Union of Communist Youth was the Romanian Communist Party's youth organisation, modelled after the Soviet Komsomol. It aimed to cultivate young cadres into the party, as well as to help create the "new man" envisioned by communist ideologues.-History:Founded in 1922, the UTC went underground...
. Although he denied having held any executive positions within the party, a 2008 investigation by Evenimentul Zilei
Evenimentul Zilei
Evenimentul Zilei is one of the leading newspapers in Romania. Based in Bucharest, the Romanian-language daily has a paid daily circulation of 110,000...
newspaper concluded that Diaconescu was promoted to a leadership office within the Association of Communist Students, and that he was judged a good student of Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
. Diaconescu graduated from the Law Faculty of the University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
in 1983, also earning a PhD in Law in 2007. He was an associate professor at Hyperion University in 1993, a professor at the Carol I National Defence University
Carol I National Defence University
The Carol I National Defence University , located in Bucharest, Romania, was established in 1889. It seeks to train military and civilian experts in security and national defence, and undertakes scientific studies related to these matters when requested by relevant state authorities.-External links:*...
in 1997 and at the Institute of Law and International Relations from 1998 to 2000, and in 2004 was on the academic staff of the Spiru Haret University
Spiru Haret University
The Spiru Haret University is a private university in Bucharest, Romania, founded in 1991 by the president of Tomorrow's Romania Foundation, Aurelian Gh. Bondrea, as part of the teaching activities of this foundation. The university claims this has been done according to the model used by the...
in its International Relations and European Studies Faculty.
In 1983, he was an apprentice lawyer in Găeşti
Gaesti
Găești is a town in Dâmbovița county, Romania with a population of 16,598.- History :The name of the town comes from a family of nobles who owned most of the lands on which the town is now situated...
; from 1983 to 1985, he worked as a judge at the Ilfov Agricultural Sector
Ilfov County
Ilfov is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but after the fall of communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest...
courthouse, and from 1985 to 1989, he was a judge at the Sector 4
Sector 4 (Bucharest)
-Politics:The mayor of the sector is Cristian Popescu Piedone, from the Conservative Party. The Local Council of Sector 4 has 27 seats, with the following party composition :...
courthouse. During this period, he would sometimes travel to villages for trials; according to Silviu Curticeanu (a former high-ranked Communist), these were held before packed audiences forcibly brought there, with judges usually selected based on political criteria often handing out especially harsh sentences for the "preventive-educational" effect these were supposed to have. Following the 1989 Revolution
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, from 1989 to 1990, he was a specialty inspector at the Justice Ministry, part of a team of youthful specialists who, as he recalled fifteen years later, unsuccessfully toured the country in an attempt to reshape the Communist-era justice system. Then, from 1990 to 1993, he was a diplomat in Romania's permanent delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
(OSCE). From 1993 to 1995, working at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Diaconescu coordinated the cooperation section in the OSCE political–military field. From 1995 to 1996 he was again a diplomat, part of Romania's permanent mission to international organisations in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and deputy head of mission for the OSCE political–military and security fields. From 1996 to 1997, still a diplomat, he worked at the OSCE directorate of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In 1997-1998, at the same ministry, he headed the directorate for OSCE and cooperation with sub-regional structures. Continuing at the ministry, from 1998 to 2000 he headed its general law and consular directorate; among his attributes was that of chief negotiator for bilateral treaties on borders and minority rights. From May to December 2000, he was deputy general secretary of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
On 25 June 1992, the Heads of State and Government of eleven countries signed in Istanbul the Summit Declaration and the Bosporus Statement giving birth to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation ...
.
In December 2000, when the PDSR (PSD from 2001) returned to office
Romanian legislative election, 2000
Legislative elections where be held in Romania on November 26, 2000, together with the Presidential election. The Greater Romania Party made big gains, as did the PDSR, which became the ruling party. The formerly governing Romanian Democratic Convention lost all its seats and was shortly...
, Diaconescu became Secretary of State for Bilateral Affairs at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Serving until January 2004, he was chief negotiator for the border treaty with Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, for the basic political treaty with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and for the law on Hungarians in states bordering Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. He also joined the PSD in 2002. From January to March 2004, he was Secretary of State for European Affairs at the same ministry. From March to December 2004, he served as Minister of Justice. As such, he was responsible for conducting and closing negotiations with the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
on the Justice and Home Affairs
Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters
The third of the three pillars of the European Union was Justice and Home Affairs , which was shrunk and renamed Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters in 2003. The pillar existed between 1993 and 2009, when it was absorbed into a consolidated EU structure.The pillar focused on...
chapter of the acquis communautaire; that November, he reported to the government that negotiations had been concluded, helping move Romania closer to European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
accession. At the 2004 election
Romanian legislative election, 2004
The Romanian legislative election of 2004 was held on 28 November 2004. 137 seats in the Senate of Romania and 314 seats in the Chamber of Deputies were up for election.The 2004 legislative election was held simultaneously with the presidential election...
, which the PSD lost, he won a Senate seat, and chaired that body's defence, public order and national security committee. In 2005, he became a vice president of the PSD; that June, he was named PSD spokesman, a position he kept until January 2009, except during his mayoral campaign. (Additionally, in 2006, shortly before the National Anticorruption Directorate
National Anticorruption Directorate
National Anticorruption Directorate , formerly National Anticorruption Prosecution Office , is the Romanian agency tasked with preventing, investigating and prosecuting corruption-related offenses that caused a material damage higher than €200,000 or whose value of the involved amounts or goods is...
announced it would question his wife in its investigation into the loss of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1 million in state funds while she was a bank president, he announced he would resign his party positions partly in connection with this, but reversed course several days later.) Diaconescu reluctantly agreed to run for Mayor of Bucharest
Mayor of Bucharest
The Mayor of Bucharest , sometimes known as the General Mayor, is the head of the Bucharest City Hall in Bucharest, Romania, which is responsible for city-wide affairs, such as the water system, the transport system and the main boulevards...
in June 2008
Romanian local election, 2008
Local elections were held in Romania on June 1, 2008, with a runoff for mayors on June 15, 2008.On June 1 where elected:* all the villages, communes, cities, and municipal cluncils , and the Sectors Local Councils of Bucharest...
, promising a doubling of the minimum monthly salary and an additional pension payment per year. He lost in the first round, coming in third with 13.2% of the vote. He was re-elected as senator in November 2008
Romanian legislative election, 2008
Legislative elections were held in Romania on November 30, 2008. The Democratic Liberal Party won most seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, although the alliance headed by the Social Democratic Party won a fractionally higher vote share.-Electoral System:President Traian Băsescu...
, and the following month, he was named to the Boc cabinet
Boc I Cabinet
The first Boc Cabinet of the Government of Romania was composed of 20 ministers, listed below. It was sworn in on 22 December 2008, the same day it received the vote of confidence from the Parliament of Romania. It was a grand coalition government, formed by the PD-L and the PSD...
.
Upon winning confirmation as minister, among the priorities Diaconescu announced were a consolidation of Romania's position within the EU, including by pushing for ratification of the Lisbon Treaty; regional policy, including toward Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
area; and securing the rights of the Romanians of Serbia
Romanians of Serbia
Romanians are a recognised national minority in Serbia. The total number of declared Romanians in the 2002 Serbian census was 34,576, while 40,054 people declared themselves Vlachs; there are differing views among some of the Vlachs over they should be regarded as Romanians or as members of a...
. Later, in an interview, he added that improving relations with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
was also on his agenda, as well as having the EU focus on energy security. He visited the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in May 2009, meeting with Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Clinton and commenting that Romania continued to be a "trustworthy partner" for the US, in turn an "essential ally" of Romania. The issue of Moldova vividly appeared on the agenda during the April 2009 civil unrest
2009 Moldova civil unrest
The 2009 civil unrest in Moldova began on April 7, 2009, in major cities of Moldova before the results of the 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election were announced...
, when Diaconescu commented that the authorities there had "exceeded limits" by arresting protesters without explanation, requiring visas of Romanians wishing to enter the country, expelling all Romanian journalists, and "provoking" the Romanian government by accusing it of involvement in the events. He soon announced that Moldovans would be able to obtain Romanian citizenship more easily. Additionally, he had to deal with the sometimes tense situation faced by Romanian citizens living in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Together with his PSD colleagues, Diaconescu resigned from the cabinet on October 1, 2009, in protest at the dismissal of vice prime minister and Interior Minister Dan Nica
Dan Nica
Dan Nica is a Romanian engineer and politician. A member of the Social Democratic Party , he has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Galaţi County since 1996...
.
In February 2010, Diaconescu sought election as PSD president, but withdrew from the race several hours before the party congress that would decide the winner opened. Subsequently, journalist Floriana Jucan alleged that Diaconescu had been subject to round-the-clock surveillance for ten days prior to the congress, and that party colleagues had carried out the monitoring in order to blackmail him. Near the end of the month, he resigned from the party and from its vice presidency, also filing a judicial complaint asking for an investigation into his surveillance. Initially sitting as an independent in Gabriel Oprea
Gabriel Oprea
Gabriel Oprea is a Romanian soldier and politician. A member of the National Union for the Progress of Romania and a former member of the Social Democratic Party , he has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Ilfov County since 2004...
's group, he followed the latter into the newly-founded UNPR, being elected honorary president in May.