Teodor Atanasiu
Encyclopedia
Teodor Atanasiu is a Romania
n engineer and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party
(PNL), he was Minister of National Defence in the Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
cabinet from December 2004 to October 2006. He has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
for Alba County
since 2008.
He and his first wife had one daughter before divorcing in 2005 after twenty years of marriage. Soon afterward, he married Laura Bişboacă, a 25-year-old employee of the Alba County Council whom Atanasiu brought to Bucharest as an adviser at the Defence Ministry after being named to head that institution. The two married shortly thereafter, and have one daughter. Atanasiu later drew controversy for having Bişboacă's brother hired at the Agriculture Ministry (then controlled by a PNL colleague) and at the Authority for State Assets Recovery once Atanasiu was in charge there; as well as giving out jobs to his best man and business partner and to a business partner of his wife's.
, Alba County
and from 1982 to 1987 attended the Vehicle Construction Technology section of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
's Mechanics Faculty. From 1987 to 1995, he was an engineer at the mechanical plant in his native town, serving as chief of production from 1995 to 1996 and as director from 1997 to 2001. From 1994 to 1996, he belonged to the administrative council of another factory there, while heading a water company
in Alba Iulia
from 1996 to 1997. From 1997 to 2000, he was on the administrative council of the former State Property Fund, and from 2001 to June 2004, he administered a Dinu Patriciu
-owned, Rompetrol
subsidiary, pipe manufacturer in Sibiu
.
Atanasiu entered politics shortly after the 1989 Revolution
, joining the PNL in February 1990. From the following month until 1992, he was secretary of the party's Cugir organisation, and its president from 1992 to 1993. Since 1993, he has been president of the Alba County PNL chapter. From 1992 to 1996, he was a member of the Cugir town council, and joined the Alba County Council since 1996, of which he was president from June to December 2004. He was on the PNL's permanent central bureau from 2001 to 2002 and from 2005 to 2006, also serving as a party vice president from 2006 to 2008.
He was named Defence Minister at the end of 2004, among the cited reasons being his work at the Cugir plant (which specialised in military equipment) and his co-authorship in 2000 of a strategy for restructuring Romania's defence industry. Among his initiatives as minister were a reorganisation of the ministry, including a fight against corruption there and an elimination of redundancies; rest homes for combatants and houses for soldiers; and compensatory pay for personnel dismissed as part of an ongoing reduction in size of the Romanian Armed Forces
. He also promoted a law ending conscription
from 2007, a change he said would promote stability and discipline. He was in office during severe flooding in 2005
that the Army helped combat. He promoted a close strategic partnership with the United States
, including a plan for building American military bases in Romania. However, despite affirming his commitment to Romania's participation in both the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan
in 2005, the following year he sought Romania's withdrawal from Iraq, a decision opposed and blocked by President
Traian Băsescu
. Other controversies came when he implied but later backed away from the possibility of intervening militarily in Transnistria
's frozen conflict; and when he disciplined crew members of the Romanian frigate Regina Maria who went on a hunger strike.
Atanasiu's downfall as minister began in July 2006, when he remarked on television that the military intelligence service was spying on the presidential administration, and specifically on spokeswoman Adriana Săftoiu
. This prompted Săftoiu to sue him for abuse of office, In September, by which time the Social Democratic
parliamentarian Eugen Bejinariu
had also sued, Băsescu suspended the minister, citing the need to avoid any suspicion that the investigation might be compromised. The PNL objected to the decision, with Tăriceanu calling the step legal but not obligatory, and party spokesman Varujan Vosganian
viewing it as retaliation for his Iraq stance. Shortly thereafter, prosecutors decided not to pursue charges, but Atanasiu remained suspended and in late October, with Băsescu poised to dismiss him, resigned, despite a vow several days earlier to stay on until a judicial request he had made to be reinstated was resolved.
Tăriceanu immediately named Atanasiu head of the Authority for State Assets Recovery (AVAS), a position he held until December 2008. He resigned because he had just been elected
to the Chamber of Deputies, where he served until September 2009 on the economics, reform and privatisation committee, and continues to serve on the joint parliamentary committee providing oversight to the activities of Serviciul Român de Informaţii
.
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 engineer and politician. A 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), he was Minister of National Defence 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 from December 2004 to October 2006. He has been 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 Alba County
Alba County
Alba is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, its capital city being Alba-Iulia with a population of 66,406.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 382,747 and the population density was 61/km².* Romanians - 90.4%* Hungarians - 5.4%...
since 2008.
He and his first wife had one daughter before divorcing in 2005 after twenty years of marriage. Soon afterward, he married Laura Bişboacă, a 25-year-old employee of the Alba County Council whom Atanasiu brought to Bucharest as an adviser at the Defence Ministry after being named to head that institution. The two married shortly thereafter, and have one daughter. Atanasiu later drew controversy for having Bişboacă's brother hired at the Agriculture Ministry (then controlled by a PNL colleague) and at the Authority for State Assets Recovery once Atanasiu was in charge there; as well as giving out jobs to his best man and business partner and to a business partner of his wife's.
Biography
He was born in CugirCugir
Cugir is a town in Alba county, the central settlement of the Breadfield, in Romania. About 45 kilometers south-west of Alba-Iulia, the capital of the county, and 300 meters above sea level at the base of the Surianu Mountains...
, Alba County
Alba County
Alba is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, its capital city being Alba-Iulia with a population of 66,406.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 382,747 and the population density was 61/km².* Romanians - 90.4%* Hungarians - 5.4%...
and from 1982 to 1987 attended the Vehicle Construction Technology section of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
The Technical University of Cluj-Napoca , Cluj-Napoca, Romania, is the second largest university in the city. The university has seven faculties, all in Romanian, and two in English.- Faculties :...
's Mechanics Faculty. From 1987 to 1995, he was an engineer at the mechanical plant in his native town, serving as chief of production from 1995 to 1996 and as director from 1997 to 2001. From 1994 to 1996, he belonged to the administrative council of another factory there, while heading a water company
Water industry
The water industry provides drinking water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, and industrial sectors of the economy. The water industry includes manufacturers and suppliers of bottled water...
in Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania with a population of 66,747, located on the Mureş River. Since the High Middle Ages, the city has been the seat of Transylvania's Roman Catholic diocese. Between 1541 and 1690 it was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania...
from 1996 to 1997. From 1997 to 2000, he was on the administrative council of the former State Property Fund, and from 2001 to June 2004, he administered a Dinu Patriciu
Dinu Patriciu
Dan Costache "Dinu" Patriciu , is a billionaire businessman and entrepreneur with a long standing involvement in real estate. In 1998 he led an investor buyout of the previously state-owned Romanian oil company, Rompetrol...
-owned, Rompetrol
Rompetrol
The Rompetrol Group N.V. , is a Romanian oil company, that operates in many countries throughout Europe:unclear what "market share": refining? downstream? extraction? well services?*Romania - 2nd largest oil company, 40% market share...
subsidiary, pipe manufacturer in Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
.
Atanasiu entered politics shortly after 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...
, joining the PNL in February 1990. From the following month until 1992, he was secretary of the party's Cugir organisation, and its president from 1992 to 1993. Since 1993, he has been president of the Alba County PNL chapter. From 1992 to 1996, he was a member of the Cugir town council, and joined the Alba County Council since 1996, of which he was president from June to December 2004. He was on the PNL's permanent central bureau from 2001 to 2002 and from 2005 to 2006, also serving as a party vice president from 2006 to 2008.
He was named Defence Minister at the end of 2004, among the cited reasons being his work at the Cugir plant (which specialised in military equipment) and his co-authorship in 2000 of a strategy for restructuring Romania's defence industry. Among his initiatives as minister were a reorganisation of the ministry, including a fight against corruption there and an elimination of redundancies; rest homes for combatants and houses for soldiers; and compensatory pay for personnel dismissed as part of an ongoing reduction in size of the Romanian Armed Forces
Romanian Armed Forces
The Land Forces, Air Force and Naval Forces of Romania are collectively known as the Romanian Armed Forces...
. He also promoted a law ending conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
from 2007, a change he said would promote stability and discipline. He was in office during severe flooding in 2005
2005 European floods
The 2005 European floods hit mainly Romania, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, as well as several other countries in Central Europe and Eastern Europe during August 2005...
that the Army helped combat. He promoted a close strategic partnership with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including a plan for building American military bases in Romania. However, despite affirming his commitment to Romania's participation in both the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
in 2005, the following year he sought Romania's withdrawal from Iraq, a decision opposed and blocked by President
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Traian Băsescu
Traian Basescu
Traian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
. Other controversies came when he implied but later backed away from the possibility of intervening militarily in Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
's frozen conflict; and when he disciplined crew members of the Romanian frigate Regina Maria who went on a hunger strike.
Atanasiu's downfall as minister began in July 2006, when he remarked on television that the military intelligence service was spying on the presidential administration, and specifically on spokeswoman Adriana Săftoiu
Adriana Săftoiu
Ana Adriana Săftoiu is a Romanian journalist and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party , she was a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Bucharest in December 2004, and has represented Prahova County in the Chamber since 2008...
. This prompted Săftoiu to sue him for abuse of office, In September, by which time the Social Democratic
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...
parliamentarian Eugen Bejinariu
Eugen Bejinariu
Eugen Bejinariu is a Romanian politician and member of the Social Democratic Party . He served as interim prime minister of Romania between December 21 and 28, 2004, when prime minister Adrian Năstase, who had just been defeated in presidential elections by Traian Băsescu, resigned and became...
had also sued, Băsescu suspended the minister, citing the need to avoid any suspicion that the investigation might be compromised. The PNL objected to the decision, with Tăriceanu calling the step legal but not obligatory, and party spokesman Varujan Vosganian
Varujan Vosganian
Varujan Vosganian is a Romanian politician, economist, essayist and poet. A member of the National Liberal Party, Vosganian was Romania's Minister of Economy and Commerce in the Tăriceanu cabinet.-Biography:...
viewing it as retaliation for his Iraq stance. Shortly thereafter, prosecutors decided not to pursue charges, but Atanasiu remained suspended and in late October, with Băsescu poised to dismiss him, resigned, despite a vow several days earlier to stay on until a judicial request he had made to be reinstated was resolved.
Tăriceanu immediately named Atanasiu head of the Authority for State Assets Recovery (AVAS), a position he held until December 2008. He resigned because he had just been elected
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...
to the Chamber of Deputies, where he served until September 2009 on the economics, reform and privatisation committee, and continues to serve on the joint parliamentary committee providing oversight to the activities of Serviciul Român de Informaţii
Serviciul Român de Informatii
The Romanian Intelligence Service is the Romanian domestic intelligence service. It is considered the descendant of the former Departamentul Securităţii Statului , of the Socialist Republic of Romania. The official decree The Romanian Intelligence Service (', SRI) is the Romanian domestic...
.