Mona Muscă
Encyclopedia
Mona Octavia Muscă is a Romania
n philologist and politician. A former member of the National Liberal Party
(PNL) and of the Liberal Democratic Party
(PLD), she was a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
for Caraş-Severin County
from 1996 to 2004 and for Bucharest
from 2004 to 2007. In the Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
cabinet, she served as Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs from 2004 to 2005.
and attended the Philology Faculty of the West University of Timişoara
. Following graduation, she became assistant professor at her alma mater, teaching the Romanian language
to foreign students. She was also a scientific researcher at the Romanian Academy
's Iorgu Iordan Institute of Linguistics, with articles and speciality studies to her name.
Following the 1989 Revolution
, Muscă joined the Civic Alliance Foundation
and then the Civic Alliance Party, joining the PNL in 1995. She arrived in Parliament in 1996
, on the lists of the Romanian Democratic Convention
, surviving that alliance's 2000 defeat
due to her closeness to Valeriu Stoica
. In the Chamber, she sat on the committees for culture, art and mass media (1996-2007); equal opportunity between men and women (2000-2004; 2006-2007); and foreign policy (2007); and was vice president of the body from December 2004 to January 2005. During her legislative career, Muscă initiated bills on a number of subjects: setting up ROMPRES, legal holidays, prevention of cruelty to animals, protection for victims of domestic violence, national security, conflict of interest in public functions and free access to public information. It was this last proposal, made in 2001, that gave her public visibility, allowing her to cast herself as a link between politicians and civil society. She also helped initiate a lustration
law, inspired by the Proclamation of Timişoara
and meant to exclude from public office those "who were part of the power structures and repressive apparatus of the Communist regime
". In 2004, she was the only politician to file a penal complaint against Prime Minister
Adrian Năstase
in the "Zambaccian" corruption case. Following the election that year
, Năstase defeated her in her bid to become President of the Chamber of Deputies
. Muscă instead was named Culture and Religious Affairs Minister by the new PNL Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
. She resigned in August 2005, citing incompatibility with Tăriceanu, whom she had criticised for not calling early elections. Within her party, she was a vice president of the PNL.
In August 2006, Evenimentul Zilei
newspaper published documents indicating that Muscă had collaborated with the Securitate
secret police during the 1970s. In response, she made public a collaboration agreement signed in March 1977, in which she accepted the code name "Dana" and agreed to provide information about foreign students. She expressed her regret at having signed, but said she did not realise this would involve her in collaboration with the secret police. A dossier attests that she gave 15 notes containing information to the secret police, although only two such written documents were discovered. The following month, the PNL removed her from the party and the CNSAS, an institution charged with investigating Securitate affiliations, declared her a collaborator. Later that year, she challenged the ruling, which the CNSAS then affirmed. She also joined the new PLD about that time. In March 2007, the Bucharest Court of Appeal confirmed the CNSAS verdict, prompting her resignation from Parliament and from the PLD. Although she faced prison or a fine for having issued an official declaration stating she had not collaborated with the Securitate, in 2010 prosecutors decided not to press charges against her.
Muscă divorced her first husband around the time of her Securitate collaboration. In 1982, she married Gavril Muscă, head of the Bucharest Chemical Energy Institute and a friend of the Ceauşescu family
that then led Romania. She has one daughter.
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 philologist and politician. A former member of the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Romania)
The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
(PNL) and of the Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Romania)
The Liberal Democratic Party was a political party in Romania, formed in December 2006 as a breakaway group from the National Liberal Party...
(PLD), she was a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Romania
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house in Romania's bicameral parliament. It has 315 seats, to which deputies are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms...
for Caraş-Severin County
Caras-Severin County
Caraș-Severin is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Banat and few villages in Transylvania, with the county seat at Reșița.-Demographics:The county is part of the Danube-Kris-Mureș-Tisza euroregion....
from 1996 to 2004 and for 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....
from 2004 to 2007. In the Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu
Călin Constantin Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu is a Romanian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Romania between 29 December 2004 and 22 December 2008...
cabinet, she served as Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs from 2004 to 2005.
Biography
She was born in TurdaTurda
Turda is a city and Municipality in Cluj County, Romania, situated on the Arieş River.- Ancient times :The city was founded by Dacians under the name Patavissa or Potaissa...
and attended the Philology Faculty of the West University of Timişoara
West University of Timisoara
The West University of Timişoara is a university located in Timişoara, Romania. Established in 1962, it is organized in 11 Faculties.-Organization:...
. Following graduation, she became assistant professor at her alma mater, teaching the Romanian language
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
to foreign students. She was also a scientific researcher at the Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
's Iorgu Iordan Institute of Linguistics, with articles and speciality studies to her name.
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...
, Muscă joined the Civic Alliance Foundation
Civic Alliance Foundation
The Civic Alliance Foundation is a Romanian non-governmental organization . It is one of the largest Romanian NGOs, working for the consolidation of a civil society in the aftermath of the 42-year long communist regime. The AC has subsidiaries in 36 of the 41 counties, overseen by a 27-member...
and then the Civic Alliance Party, joining the PNL in 1995. She arrived in Parliament in 1996
Romanian legislative election, 1996
Legislative elections were held in Romania on 3 November 1996, together with the Presidential election. The elections were won by the Romanian Democratic Convention, an alliance of liberal, Christian Democratic and green parties. This marked the first time that the Party of Social Democracy was out...
, on the lists of the Romanian Democratic Convention
Romanian Democratic Convention
The Romanian Democratic Convention was an electoral alliance of several political parties of Romania, active from early 1992 until 2000....
, surviving that alliance's 2000 defeat
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...
due to her closeness to Valeriu Stoica
Valeriu Stoica
Valeriu Stoica is a Romanian politician and academic. A professor of civil law at the University of Bucharest, he became a member of the National Liberal Party in 1990, and was first vice-president of the party between 1997 and 2001 and president between 2001 and 2002...
. In the Chamber, she sat on the committees for culture, art and mass media (1996-2007); equal opportunity between men and women (2000-2004; 2006-2007); and foreign policy (2007); and was vice president of the body from December 2004 to January 2005. During her legislative career, Muscă initiated bills on a number of subjects: setting up ROMPRES, legal holidays, prevention of cruelty to animals, protection for victims of domestic violence, national security, conflict of interest in public functions and free access to public information. It was this last proposal, made in 2001, that gave her public visibility, allowing her to cast herself as a link between politicians and civil society. She also helped initiate a lustration
Lustration
Lustration is the government process regulating the participation of former communists, especially informants of the communist secret police, in the successor political appointee positions or in civil service positions in the period after the fall of the various European Communist states in 1989 –...
law, inspired by the Proclamation of Timişoara
Proclamation of Timisoara
The Proclamation of Timişoara was a thirteen-point written document, drafted on March 11, 1990 by the Timişoara participants in Romania's 1989 Revolution, and partly issued in reaction to the first Mineriad...
and meant to exclude from public office those "who were part of the power structures and repressive apparatus of the Communist regime
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...
". In 2004, she was the only politician to file a penal complaint against Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Romania
The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was styled President of the Council of Ministers , when the term "Government" included more than the Cabinet, and the Cabinet was called The Council of Ministers...
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...
in the "Zambaccian" corruption case. Following the election that year
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...
, Năstase defeated her in her bid to become President of the Chamber of Deputies
President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
The President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania is the deputy elected to preside over the meetings in the lower chamber of the Parliament of Romania...
. Muscă instead was named Culture and Religious Affairs Minister by the new PNL Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu
Călin Constantin Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu is a Romanian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Romania between 29 December 2004 and 22 December 2008...
. She resigned in August 2005, citing incompatibility with Tăriceanu, whom she had criticised for not calling early elections. Within her party, she was a vice president of the PNL.
In August 2006, 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 published documents indicating that Muscă had collaborated with the Securitate
Securitate
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...
secret police during the 1970s. In response, she made public a collaboration agreement signed in March 1977, in which she accepted the code name "Dana" and agreed to provide information about foreign students. She expressed her regret at having signed, but said she did not realise this would involve her in collaboration with the secret police. A dossier attests that she gave 15 notes containing information to the secret police, although only two such written documents were discovered. The following month, the PNL removed her from the party and the CNSAS, an institution charged with investigating Securitate affiliations, declared her a collaborator. Later that year, she challenged the ruling, which the CNSAS then affirmed. She also joined the new PLD about that time. In March 2007, the Bucharest Court of Appeal confirmed the CNSAS verdict, prompting her resignation from Parliament and from the PLD. Although she faced prison or a fine for having issued an official declaration stating she had not collaborated with the Securitate, in 2010 prosecutors decided not to press charges against her.
Muscă divorced her first husband around the time of her Securitate collaboration. In 1982, she married Gavril Muscă, head of the Bucharest Chemical Energy Institute and a friend of the Ceauşescu family
Ceausescu family
Nicolae Ceauşescu, who led Romania from 1965 to 1989, had a large family, several members of which wielded influence in Communist Romania. Below are given outlines of his immediate family members' lives, with links to those who have separate articles about them....
that then led Romania. She has one daughter.