Traian Basescu
Encyclopedia
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. He was re-elected president for a second 5-year term in 2009, amidst allegations of electoral fraud
that were dismissed by the courts.
In April 2007, Băsescu became the first president in Romania's history to be officially suspended from office, but he was reinstated a month later in a public referendum
by a 3–to–1 margin.
, the largest Romanian port on the Black Sea
. Băsescu's father, Dumitru (d. 2002), was an army officer; his mother's first name is Elena (d. 2010). He has a brother, Mircea (b. 1953). Traian Băsescu and his wife Maria have two daughters, Ioana and Elena
.
of Constanţa in 1976 and became a merchant marine deck officer at Navrom, the Romanian state-owned shipping company. Between 1981 and 1987 he served as Captain on Romanian commercial ships. Throughout his career, questions have been raised about Basescu's links to the Securitate, the security services of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu
. But Basescu has said his links with the former Securitate
were minimal, though some contact was obligatory at the time for somebody working abroad in a senior position. In 1984 he was promoted to Captain of the oil tanker
Biruinţa, the largest ship of the then Romanian commercial fleet. In 1989, Băsescu moved to Belgium to head the Navrom Agency in Antwerp.
(PCR). After the downfall of Communism
, he claimed that he joined the PCR only in order to promote his career in the merchant marine. In a letter published in Romanian newspapers, former president Emil Constantinescu
alleged that Basescu was in the second tier of the Communist Party leadership during the brutal regime of former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu
, but had managed to falsely portray himself as anti-communist.
Traian Băsescu entered politics after the 1989 Romanian Revolution
, as a member of the large National Salvation Front (FSN) party. In April 1991, he became Minister of Transport in Petre Roman
's Cabinet, and continued to hold this position during Theodor Stolojan
's "Cabinet of technocrats" in September 1991 - November 1992. In 1992, after the FSN split in two factions—the Social Democratic Party of Romania
(PDSR, later PSD), led by Ion Iliescu
, and the Democratic Party (PD), led by Petre Roman
, Băsescu joined the PD faction. In 1992, he was elected to the lower house of the Romanian Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies
, then re-elected for the 1996-2000 term.
Concurrently with his second term in Parliament, from November 1996 to June 2000, Băsescu also served as Minister of Transport in the center-right governments of Victor Ciorbea
, Radu Vasile
, and Mugur Isărescu
.
In December 1997, he gave an interview to Claudiu Săftoiu
of the newspaper Evenimentul Zilei
, in which he accused Prime-Minister Victor Ciorbea
of not implementing enough reforms, although Ciorbea was accused by the Socialist opposition of being excessively reformist. This became the first episode in an open dispute within the ruling center-right coalition, a dispute that eventually led to Democratic Party ministers, including Băsescu, resigning from the cabinet, which, in turn, led to Ciorbea's resignation. Subsequently (1998), Băsescu resumed his previous ministerial position in the new cabinet headed by Radu Vasile
.
During his tenure as Minister of Transportation, Băsescu oversaw privatization
of Romania's merchant fleet
. While some argued that the aging ships at the time were of minimal value, many Romanians believed the compensation received for the ships was artificially low. The "scandal" of the fleet sale became known in Romania as The Fleet File (Dosarul Flota) Affair. Prosecutors brought charges against Băsescu, but it was not proven that he was involved in any malfeasances. In 1996, Băsescu was the first Romanian parliamentarian to renounce his parliamentary immunity
, in order to allow judicial procedures related to the Fleet File Affair to continue against him (Romanian MPs were, by default, granted immunity from prosecution
of any kind). Although the case against him was closed at the time for lack of evidence, it was reopened in early 2004, in what some considered a political maneuver against him sponsored by the then PSD
government. In 2004, the case was brought before the High Court of Cassation and Justice
, however the judges decided to send it back to the Prosecutor's Office citing procedural errors (the signature of a prosecutor was missing). In December 2007, the Romanian National Anti-corruption Directorate (Direcţia Naţională Anticorupţie), a subdivision of the General Prosecutor Office, ruled to end the investigation, based on the financial expertise that there was not prejudice from the association of Romanian NM Petromin SA Constanţa Norwegian Torvald Klaveness group (April 1991 - August 2000). However the case is still opened as this is only the latest expertise published and the only one who serves as evidence in favor of Basescu. Some have seen this as a political maneuver destined to prove his innocence. In total 136 people were investigated, 80 of which, including Băsescu, were retained for the investigation of this case, while the facts pertaining to 51 others were separated for independent investigations.
, winning the run-off against PDSR
candidate Sorin Oprescu
by a slim margin (50.69% to 49.31%), despite trailing 24% behind him in the first round.
As Mayor, he was credited with a reduction in the number of stray dog
s (although he sometimes used measures such as large-scale euthanasia) roaming freely through the streets of the city from approximately 200,000–300,000 in 2000 to 25,000 in 2004, and thus in the number of dog bite injuries from 1500/month to under 200/month. This campaign was controversial, as many opposed mass dog euthanasia. On the other hand, there were also numerous cases of people asking the authorities to take the stray dogs away, but after this was done, neighbors, who had been feeding the dogs, would show up at the shelter to take them back to their neighborhoods. The campaign resulted in nearly 48,000 dogs being put down just in 2001, with fewer numbers in the following years. In 2004, Băsescu presented the situation as a success.
Băsescu also claimed success in improvements to the water and lighting systems of the city, which prior to that were in a very bad state; as well as in modernisation of the public transportation system in the city.
His tenure was however marked by constant conflicts with the governing PSD
-controlled institutions. Citing the need for decentralisation, the central government led by Adrian Năstase
passed several ordinance
s transferring powers from the city Mayor to Mayors of the city's six sectors
and to the city council
. Băsescu accused council members of corruption and obstruction; he also successfully challenged several council resolutions in Administrative Courts. As a consequence, on 10 January 2002, the central government decided to dissolve the council, yet it annulled that decision later on. These conflicts led to the blocking or delay of several infrastructure loans, financed by BEI
, for municipal heating and road networks, and to blocking city's ability to borrow and finance reconstruction.
In February 2003, Băsescu bought from the state a 369 m² apartment in a nationalised house downtown Bucharest
for the equivalent of US$19,000. A scandal broke, as the request to buy the house was approved by the Mayor's Office, at a time when Băsescu was mayor. He explained that he had filed in October 2002 an application to the specialized state agency (not to the Mayor's office, which was not the owner of the building) for the apartment to be sold to him on the basis of the Romanian Law 10 of 2001, which he claimed "gives priority to existing tenants to buy previously nationalized houses, no matter whether they already owned other houses", and that only the price was calculated based on a 1995 law. However, the press noted that, according to the contract, the sale was based on Law 112 of 1995, and that Law 10/2001 had no provisions about selling anything. Th 1995 law prevents, with the provisions of Art. 9, sale to tenants that already owned or sold a house after January 1, 1990, Băsescu already having bought a villa near Bucharest in October 2002, donated to his daughter shortly after. Furthermore, the same law gave the right to buy the nationalised houses only to those who were tenants at the time of its coming into force (i.e. second half of 1996), while Băsescu had only lived in that house since August 2002. According to the press, these facts made it impossible for Băsescu to legally buy the apartment. When the scandal broke again in early 2005, Băsescu first stated that he would give up the apartment, but changed his mind later, announcing that he would renounce it only if the Prosecutor's Office decided he had broken the law. The prosecutors investigating the matter concluded that, according to the provisions of the law, Băsescu did not breach it when he bought the apartment.
In 2004, Băsescu was elected for a second term in office, winning 54.9% of the votes directly in the first round; the runner-up, Mircea Geoană
of the PSD
, at that time the Foreign Minister of Romania, received 29.7%. Băsescu resigned as Mayor later that year, after winning the presidency of Romania.
, who had previously led the party for nine years, after Roman managed to get only 2% of the vote at the 2000 presidential elections. At the time the PD had a social-democrat ideology. That same year, Basescu's party and Iliescu's PDSR both attempted to join the Socialist International
. Băsescu tried to present his party as more democratically-oriented stating that "PDSR is far from modern social-democracy". He also negotiated a merger with Virgil Măgureanu
's PNR, a party that had many former Securitate
employees.
In 2003, Băsescu negotiated an electoral alliance for the PD with the National Liberal Party
(PNL) in order to create a cohesive opposition against the then-ruling PSD
. The new pact, called the Justice and Truth Alliance (Alianţa DA), ran common candidates in local and national elections, and agreed to vote as a bloc in Parliament. As chairman of PD, he became a co-chairman of the DA alliance alongside the then PNL
chairman Theodor Stolojan. In 2003, Stolojan, who was the Justice and Truth candidate for president of Romania in 2004, stepped down as PNL
chairman and DA
co-chairman, being replaced in these positions by Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
. Although Stolojan announced to have withdrawn because of health concerns, Băsescu claimed to the press that the reason behind this decision was blackmail from political opponents (Stolojan did not confirm this). This sudden change in leadership of the DA alliance transformed the 2004 presidential election in a race between two leaders of parties affiliated with the Socialist International. Editorialist Dan Pavel
decried the development as a "marginalization of the right", and the presidential race as a choice between two former "FSN cadres". Nevertheless, there were significant differences in the economic programs of the DA alliance and PSD in 2004. The DA alliance leaned towards economic liberalism
, with the introduction of a 16% flat tax
that replaced the progressive personal income tax of up to 40%, and the 25% corporate tax. In January 2005, Financial Times
described the DA alliance as "centrist".
Băsescu's party would not officially abandon social-democrat ideals until 2005, after PD's leadership was discontent with the support given by the Socialist International to the PDSR during the 2004 elections, and by the fact that the Socialist International admitted the PDSR's successor, PSD, with full membership rights, while the PD remained only an associate member. In a 2006 interview, Băsescu stated that his party's exit from the Socialist International was a "huge concession" he made to PNL after discussions of a merger of PD and PNL began in 2004. Change in the leadership of PNL prevented the merger; according to Băsescu, most of the PNL leaders that negotiated the joint governance with Băsescu in 2004 had been marginalized by 2006, making collaboration difficult. In December 2006, those members of the PNL that favored closer ties with Băsescu formed their own party, the Liberal Democratic Party
, which eventually merged with the PD in January 2008. After December 2006, the remainder of the PNL became hostile to Băsescu and formed a minority government supported by the PSD, effectively marking the end of the DA alliance. (See Conflict with Prime Minister Tăriceanu below for further details.)
's surprise withdrawal from the 2004 presidential elections
, Băsescu entered the presidential race on behalf of the Justice and Truth Alliance. His main opponent was then Prime Minister and PSD president Adrian Năstase. Like Băsescu, Năstase was a former Communist Party member. Although Năstase came out ahead in the first round by 7%, Băsescu achieved a surprise comeback and won the December 12 run-off election by a 2.46% margin, receiving 51.23% of the vote. Băsescu won the Presidential election by using an anti-communist
and anti-corruption rhetoric. In the live TV debate with Adrian Năstase
before the 2004 run-off presidential election
, Băsescu caught his opponent off-guard with a rhetorical remark: "You know what Romania's greatest curse is right now? It's that Romanians have to choose between two former Communist Party
members."
During the 2004 presidential campaign, before a TV interview with PSD counter-candidate Adrian Năstase
, Băsescu gave the latter a paper and told him: “Put it in your pocket and read it when you are away!” Similarly, in June 2006, at the oath-taking ceremony of Radu Stroe
as the new secretary general of the Government, Băsescu gave him a sheet of paper as a "gift". After seeing it, Stroe went pale and refused to make its content public. When asked, Băsescu said its content was not classified. Both Adrian Năstase and Radu Stroe were previously involved in corruption scandals.
", in reference to the reformists' perceived victory in neighboring Ukraine
during the same period, and in reference to the orange color used by the winning Justice and Truth Alliance. In line with an agreement between the PD and PNL, he appointed PNL leader Popescu-Tăriceanu as Prime Minister. In order to form a majority, PNL and PD formed a coalition with the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
and the Humanist Party
, which later changed its name to the Conservative Party (PC). While the platform of the former has been generally in line with that of the Justice and Truth Alliance, the latter (PC) was needed in the coalition in order to obtain more than 50% of the seats in Parliament, due to the fact that apart from the opposition Social-Democrat Party, many seats were held also by the ultra-nationalist Greater Romania Party
.
In late 2006, the PC withdrew from the cabinet, a move at least partially related to conflicts between Băsescu and PC leader Dan Voiculescu
. The withdrawal of the PC left the coalition without a majority in the Parliament.
involving three Romanian journalists and their guide. In 2005, he also focused on pressing the government to provide relief to thousands of Romanians left homeless by widespread flooding throughout the spring and summer.
On 18 December 2006, Băsescu delivered a speech to Parliament (broadcast live on TV) in which he condemned Romania's pre-1989 communist regime. Some members of the opposition, mainly of the ultra-nationalist Greater Romania Party
(PRM), and some members of the mainstream Social Democratic Party
, tried to disturb the speech. Particularly vocal was the ultra-nationalist PRM leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor
, who walked with posters throughout the Parliament floor, whistled and interrupted Băsescu speech several times.
remained a top priority, and he was president when the country acceded on January 1, 2007. Both the president and the government of Prime Minister Popescu-Tăriceanu focused on Romania's planned accession to the EU, which remained a central component in Romania's foreign policy.
In addition, Băsescu has focused on a strong strategic partnership with the United States
, a relationship which during the 2004 presidential campaign he called the "Bucharest-London-Washington axis". In real terms, this meant a continued commitment to maintain Romanian troops in Afghanistan
and a smaller contingent in Iraq
; and an agreement signed in December 2005 between Romania and the U.S. to allow U.S. troops to use a Romanian military facility (Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport
). Băsescu is singled out in a report by an investigator of the Council of Europe
on illegal activities of the US secret service CIA
in Europe, Dick Marty
, as one of the persons who authorized or at least knew about and must stand accountable for the black site
at the Mihail Kogălniceanu
military base from 2003 to 2005. Băsescu made strong ties with the President of the United States, who in return called him a friend: "The President and I are friends. Romania and the United States are friends, and we're allies".
In June 2006, Băsescu came into open conflict with Popescu-Tăriceanu after the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister announced that they and the PNL sought to withdraw Romania's troops from Iraq. However, the troops stayed in Iraq, after Băsescu called a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council
, which voted that the troops should stay.
Băsescu has been vocal in calling for a regional approach to security in the Black Sea
basin, which he noted remained susceptible to trans-border security threats such as drug and human trafficking. Băsescu alleged "that Russia
might have been involved in his suspension", citing his pro-Western foreign policy as a reason.
Băsescu has tried to improve Romania's relations with Moldova
, with which Romania shares a common language and culture. Furthermore, he has expressed several times his belief in the future unification of the two countries, either politically or in the framework of the European Union. His player attitude has brought some practical success, but also an increase in anti-Romanian rhetoric from the Communist government of Moldova, led by Vladimir Voronin
. A divisive issue remains to this day the opening of two Romanian consulates outside the capital of Moldova, as well as 900,000 Moldovans applying for Romanian citizenship. In both cases, Băsescu strongly supported moves at strengthening relations with Moldova, while the Moldovan Communist leadership sought to cool down Băsescu's energy.
Băsescu stated that Romania regards Kosovo
as an integral part of Serbia
as an outcome of Kosovo status process and that Romania will not recognize any unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo.
Romania formally terminated its mission in Iraq on June 4, 2009, and pulled out its troops. On July 23 the last Romanian soldiers left Iraq. Three Romanian soldiers had been killed during their mission, and at least eight were wounded.
On January 11, 2007, Băsescu presided over the first half of the meeting of the Consiliul Suprem al Magistraturii (CSM; Superior Council of the Magistracy) at which the election of a new President of CSM took place. Before the candidacies were announced, Băsescu publicly said to judge Anton Pandrea: "I heard you have announced your candidacy, Mr. Pandrea. I wish you great success". His former counsellor Renate Weber
later claimed that if Băsescu hadn't said those words, Pandrea might not have been elected: "If the President hadn’t said that, it would have been another candidacy, if not another President." When asked by the press, Băsescu responded to this criticism with: “I did wrong, I did wrong”
A public scandal broke out when Elena Udrea
, a presidential adviser, revealed to the press that the then Prime Minister Tăriceanu passed to Băsescu a "scandalous" written note. When the matter became public debate, Băsescu stated about the note: “Prime Minister offered me a partnership, but, unfortunately, with our oligarchies”
The note, written by the hand of the Prime-Minister, was attached on top of a report from the Petromidia company, then under investigation by Prosecutors, and asked the President to "talk about it" during a scheduled visit at the Prosecutor Office. Băsescu stated: "Such type of partnership was unacceptable for me (...) it would have meant that nothing has changed in Romania after the elections." On the subsequent reaction of the Prime-Minister, Băsescu said: "Prime-Minister was consequent. and absolutely not naive." According to Băsescu, Tăriceanu phoned the Prosecutor General of Romania, then tried to put further pressure in a specially dedicated speech to the Parliament on November 8, 2006, and tried "the same thing" with Justice Minister Monica Macovei, arranging a meeting with a businessman at the Government Palace.
In response, the Prime Minister declared that the matter was just an attempt to hide "what is going on in Cotroceni
and around it" and publicly accused Băsescu of facilitating contracts to companies "close to him". According to the prime-minister, the newly appointed PD Transportation Minister told a businessman "The President sent me to take care of you". He also stated the Băsescu wanted to put the Department for Administration of the State Heritage and Protocol under the control of the family of Elena Udrea. Băsescu immediately counteracted, publicly requesting Tăriceanu to produce evidence to support his claims, to send them to the Prosecutor's Office, and to revoke the ministers allegedly involved. "In case the Prime-Minister does not produce such proof, the President considers that the statements made by are without substance and are of such a nature as to distract the public attention from his own deed", a Presidential communique stated.
Dinu Patriciu
, an influential businessman and PNL member, stated on a public TV station that, in his opinion, Tăriceanu's note was a "friendly gesture, a sign of normality". Patriciu also said that in October 2005 discussion with Băsescu, the latter has advised him to invest in any country in the Black Sea
basin except Russia
. According to Patriciu, Băsescu said "(...) because we must do so that Russians invest in Romania, in order to have them hostages, because we certainly will have a conflict with Russia".
Furthermore, now opposition member Dan Voiculescu
accused the president of influence peddling, producing a note by Băsescu to a Minister, which as Voiculescu claimed, was a request to support selling cheap energy to the ALRO company, where Democratic Liberal Party
(PDL) leader Theodor Stolojan
was a stockholder. The note said: "Minister Seres, I ask you to analyse this letter and take measures according to Government’s interests and, if possible with the interest of national economy in mind."
Daily newspaper Adevărul
published another note, in which the President requested the PD Transport Minister to analyze and find a "legal solution" to a petition from a company close to Băsescu. The newspaper claimed that this was outside the legal prerogatives of the President, accused Băsescu of sending the note directly to the Minister instead of following the usual administrative procedures, and furthermore noted that the matter was a commercial dispute that neither the president nor the Transport Minister had the legal means to solve.
In the spring of 2007, when Foreign Minister Mihai-Răzvan Ungureanu resigned, Băsescu refused to accept Prime-Minister Tăriceanu's nomination of Adrian Cioroianu
as the country's new Minister of Foreign Affairs, claiming that Cioroianu did not have enough experience. On April 5, 2007, the Constitutional Court
decided that "The Romanian President doesn't have veto power, but, if he observes that the proposed person does not correspond to the legal conditions required to be a member of Government, he can ask the Prime Minister to renounce his proposal". On the same day (two months after Ungureanu announced his resignation and 17 days after Ungureanu's resignation was accepted by the president), Băsescu accepted Cioroianu and the latter assumed office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
, who supported prosecutors' efforts to follow up on cases of corruption, especially those involving politically connected individuals. Among the main reasons given in the proposal to suspend Băsescu were:
Băsescu and his supporters denied the accusations, stating that his actions and statements were ways of fighting against corruption in the political and judicial systems, and against "circles of business interests" with unlawful purposes.
The Constitutional Court of Romania
found no clear evidence of his breach of the Constitution in the sense required by the fundamental law. However, the court ruling was only consultative and the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament voted in favor of Băsescu's impeachment on April 19, 2007, with 322 votes for the impeachment proposal, 108 against and 8 abstentions (the minimum number of votes needed was 233). Băsescu contested the decision, but the Constitutional Court rejected his appeal as inadmissible, and upheld the vote.
In the meantime, the independent Macovei and the PD
ministers had been dismissed by Prime Minister Popescu-Tăriceanu, while the European election
had been postponed to the fall of 2007. Pro-Băsescu politicians have characterized the anti-Băsescu coalition that formed as "the black alliance", as it contained a broad spectrum of political parties and interests: Social-Democrats favoring heavy state involvement in the economy, National-Liberals and Conservatives favoring business interests, Hungarian minority MPs, and anti-Hungarian ultra-nationalists.
In 2007, when Traian Băsescu was temporarily suspended from Presidency, he said in a meeting: "It seems [former] President Ion Iliescu turned to more modern means [of removing political opponents], this time without calling the miners to "defend the country"
, but used 322 Members of Parliament for my impeachment."
was held on May 19, 2007 to decide by popular vote whether to dismiss the President. According to the electoral law (article 5(2) of the Referendum Law), an absolute majority of all Romanians with the right to vote is required for a positive result in a dismissal referendum, which means that almost 9 million people would have had to vote against Băsescu. After the impeachment vote, several public rallies to support Băsescu in the referendum and protest against his suspension were organized by PD and PLD both in Romania (Bucharest, Iaşi
, etc.), as well as abroad (e.g. in Madrid
).
On April 17, Băsescu stated that if Parliament voted for his impeachment, he would resign "five minutes" after the vote, avoiding a referendum for dismissal and triggering early presidential elections. However, on April 20 he decided not to resign, claiming he wished to limit the period of political instability.
Băsescu and his supporters in the Democratic Party also suggested that his political opponents would try to modify the electoral law in order to obstruct a previously suspended president to run in the elections again, following a Rolandas Paksas
scenario.
On April 25, the Constitutional Court approved the modifications brought by parliament to the Referendum Law. The new article 10 (regarding the presidential impeachment process) considers that the impeachment process "will be approved through the majority of votes for the participants at the referendum, and article 5(2) does not apply to this type of referendum". Therefore, the 19 May referendum remained valid, despite the participation of less than 40% of eligible Romanians. However, since only a 25% minority of voters voted in the affirmative, Băsescu regained full prerogatives on May 24, after the referendum results were confirmed.
in Parliament. Băsescu nominated Lucian Croitoru
as a new prime minister, against the will of the Parliament majority, which supported Klaus Iohannis as prime minister. After Croitoru was voted down, Băsescu nominated as prime minister PDL member Liviu Negoiţă
, ignoring again the proposal of the Parliament majority. A caretaker government remained in office. The ongoing political crisis prevented Romania from getting two instalments of a 20-billion-euro loan from the International Monetary Fund
and the European Union
.
. Incumbent Băsescu and his Social-Democrat opponent Mircea Geoană
offered different ways to tackle the economic crisis. Băsescu pledged to cut public spending and promised "more equity" to people living in the countryside.
Băsescu tried to portray himself as the champion of the people against what he called the "corrupt political elite". A widely-used election poster carried the text: "They cannot avoid what they are afraid of". Băsescu's opponents countered that he is part of that elite, simply with different backers. In a Cluj-Napoca
meeting with his supporters he claimed that he "was the one to stop doubtful privatisations," implicitly accusing rival Social-Democrats of underhand practices while in power. He vowed to fight against the Parliament, which blocked his bid to install the Croitoru cabinet, and the "media moguls". In the campaign for the first round, his favourite campaign theme was reducing the number of lawmakers. This theme proved popular, with the majority of the electorate voting for the reduction of the number of lawmakers from current 471 to a maximum of 300, and in favour of a transition from the current bicameral Parliament to an a unicameral one in a referendum held simultaneously with the first round of elections
.
In the first round held on November 22, Băsescu came first with 32.44% of the votes, and Geoană second with 31.15%. Although Băsescu claimed the results of the first round as "a significant vote for the right" because he and Crin Antonescu
together received over 50% of the vote, the next day Antonescu refused to back Băsescu in the runoff, and shortly thereafter announced an alliance with Geoană. Subsequently Băsescu reproached Antonescu to "have thrown himself in the arms of the Social-Democrat party, a party opposed to reforms", and added "This alliance will bring us back to 20 years ago when the PSD was controlling all state institutions". Antonescu in turn called Băsescu "a demagogue and a populist", and vowed to support Geoană as "the lesser of two evils".
On November 26, 2009, footage from the 2004 election campaign showing Băsescu apparently hitting or pushing a 10-year-old boy at a campaign rally was broadcast. The press unfavourable to Băsescu interpreted the footage as "hitting with his fist", whereas the press favorable to Băsescu either interpreted it as a push, or called the footage fake. Asked in a talk show about the incident, the President stated that he does not recall it, but did not outright deny it either, saying that perhaps the child uttered profanity
. Later, he made a public declaration that "never in his life has he hit a child", but he refused to comment on whether the footage was video manipulated or not. PDL member Roberta Anastase, who had accompanied Băsescu during the rally, declared the child uttered profanity and that Băsescu pushed the child aside. The footage was released within 24 hours of a declaration of Dinu Patriciu
, also present at the rally, who claimed that he saw Băsescu hitting a child in 2004. The boy has been identified, and was interviewed later in the night. He acknowledged that Băsescu had hit him after he chanted a slogan favourable to Ion Iliescu
and Adrian Năstase
, but said he was not physically hurt. He also said that on the moment he was happy that Băsescu had paid attention to him, and they smiled at each other, but later he felt disappointed. He added "it was a hit as if he wanted to say: go away!" On November 27, Băsescu told a Mediafax journalist that he saw the footage "de-mounted on computer", suggesting it was manipulated. Cecilia Gheorghe, the boy's aunt, declared that the child now refuses to give further details because he is now "afraid for his life and that of his mother".
In October 2006, Traian Băsescu referred to journalist Ovidiu Zara, of Curentul newspaper, using the Romanian word "găozar" (roughly "faggot"). In 2009, the president's brother, Mircea Băsescu, also used the word "găozar" to refer to Gândul
journalist Robert Veress. In protest, leading Romanian journalist Cristian Tudor Popescu
, the editor in chief of the Gândul newspaper, showed up on his TV show Cap și Pajură holding a sign reading "gazetar găozar" (roughly "faggot journalist").
On May 19, 2007, the day of the suspension referendum
, Băsescu took the mobile phone of Antena 1 journalist Andreea Pană, who was filming him while he was shopping with his wife, despite being asked to leave him alone. Forgetting to turn it off, he was recorded referring to Pană as a stinking gypsy during a conversation with his wife in his car. The recording was made public by the Antena 1 TV station after the phone was returned to Pană the next day. After public outcry, Băsescu's spokesman expressed regret over the fact that "an inappropriate expression in a private discussion became public". The president of the Commission for Human Rights, Cults and Minorities in the Chamber of Deputies, Nicolae Păun
, who is himself part of the Roma community
, stated that President Băsescu is not a racist and cannot be condemned for a statement made in private. Romani CRISS
, on the other hand, issued a letter of protest
, saying "Romani Criss consider unacceptable for the Romanian President to use such language, sexist and racist alike." Other criticism came from the International Federation of Journalists
, Agenţia de Monitorizare a Presei, and Clubul Român de Presă. Romania's National Council for Combating Discrimination
decided that the expression "stinking gypsy" was discriminatory and sanctioned Traian Băsescu with a warning.
In 2008, Băsescu referred to journalist Victor Ciutacu
, the editor in chief of Jurnalul Național
, which was highly critical of him, as "jukebox on euros" (Romanian: "tonomat cu euro"), a meme
that Ciutacu later used repeatedly in his TV show Vorbe grele
, even in the show's logo.
During the 2009 presidential election, Băsescu released two video clips starring himself and actors that were parodying his Antena 3
critics: Mircea Badea
, a TV Host, well known for his critical stance of Băsescu, as well as Mihai Gâdea and Valentin Stan, the host and respectively a frequent guest of the TV political talk show Sinteza Zilei.
Băsescu had a good relationship with journalists that praised him, in particular TV host Radu Moraru, of the B1 TV
show Nașul, who described Băsescu as "the greatest president of Romania in the last 20 years" in the opening of an interview with him.
semifinals, Traian Băsescu, president of Romania at the time, invited the team to a Bucharest restaurant to celebrate the victory. During the festivities he was filmed drinking a glass of champagne alongside Gigi Becali
, the controversial owner of the team, yet after the celebration he drove his own car home. The media accused him of defying the Romanian legislation, which considers driving under the influence
either a summary or a criminal offense, depending on blood alcohol levels. Asked about the events, Băsescu declined a direct answer, accused the media of exaggerating and refused further comment on the incident.
In the summer of 2009, Băsescu was criticized in an editorial in Gândul
for remaining silent for a long time regarding the corruption scandal surrounding Monica Iacob Ridzi, the PD-L Youth Minister, in contrast to the harsh criticism he had expressed against ministers from other parties when they were accused of corruption (Tudor Chiuariu
, Codruţ Şereş
). Similarly, Tom Gallagher
, a Romania specialist at Bradford University, wrote that Băsescu's public image suffered after his daughter, Elena Băsescu
, became a MEP through "purely byzantine maneuvers" with the help of Ridzi, and after Băsescu "appeared to express solidarity" with Ridzi against the media that was reporting on the scandal.
, and during the Soviet occupation. This triggered a wave of criticism from the opposition parties and their sympathizers, who expressed their disapproval of such an interpretation of Romanian history and the perceived lack of respect towards the former king. Some letters requesting the president's immediate resignation came from the members of the opposition parties and their sympathizers.
President Băsescu added that if he was in Marshal Antonescu's position, he too would have ordered the Romanian troops to cross the Prut
river and attack
the USSR, with the purpose of regaining Bessarabia
, lost in 1940. In response to this, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a press statement asking for the immediate response of "civilized Europe to this justification of Nazi aggression against USSR and dishonor to the memory of millions lost during World War II" and called Băsescu's declarations a "shameless bravado".
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...
. 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. He was re-elected president for a second 5-year term in 2009, amidst allegations of electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
that were dismissed by the courts.
In April 2007, Băsescu became the first president in Romania's history to be officially suspended from office, but he was reinstated a month later in a public referendum
Romanian presidential impeachment referendum, 2007
The Romanian presidential impeachment referendum of 2007 was conducted in order to determine whether the president of Romania Traian Băsescu should be forced to step down.On April 19, 2007 the Romanian parliament suspended Băsescu...
by a 3–to–1 margin.
Birth and early life
Băsescu was born in Basarabi (renamed Murfatlar in 2007), near the port city of ConstanţaConstanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, the largest Romanian port on 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...
. Băsescu's father, Dumitru (d. 2002), was an army officer; his mother's first name is Elena (d. 2010). He has a brother, Mircea (b. 1953). Traian Băsescu and his wife Maria have two daughters, Ioana and Elena
Elena Băsescu
Elena Băsescu, sometimes referred to as EBA, is a Romanian politician, secretary general of the youth wing of Romania's Democratic Liberal Party, and a Member of the European Parliament. She is the youngest daughter of Traian Băsescu, the current President of Romania. She was formerly a model, and...
.
Professional career
Băsescu graduated from the Naval InstituteMircea cel Batrân Naval Academy
The Mircea cel Bătrân Naval Academy is a higher education institution based in the Black Sea port of Constanţa that trains officers for the Romanian Naval Forces, as well as maritime officers and engineers for the merchant marine.-History:...
of Constanţa in 1976 and became a merchant marine deck officer at Navrom, the Romanian state-owned shipping company. Between 1981 and 1987 he served as Captain on Romanian commercial ships. Throughout his career, questions have been raised about Basescu's links to the Securitate, the security services of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
. But Basescu has said his links with the former 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...
were minimal, though some contact was obligatory at the time for somebody working abroad in a senior position. In 1984 he was promoted to Captain of the oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
Biruinţa, the largest ship of the then Romanian commercial fleet. In 1989, Băsescu moved to Belgium to head the Navrom Agency in Antwerp.
Earlier political career
Băsescu was a member of the Communist PartyRomanian 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...
(PCR). After the downfall of Communism
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...
, he claimed that he joined the PCR only in order to promote his career in the merchant marine. In a letter published in Romanian newspapers, former president Emil Constantinescu
Emil Constantinescu
Emil Constantinescu was President of Romania from 1996 to 2000.He graduated from the law school of the University of Bucharest, and subsequently started a career as a geologist...
alleged that Basescu was in the second tier of the Communist Party leadership during the brutal regime of former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
, but had managed to falsely portray himself as anti-communist.
Traian Băsescu entered politics after the 1989 Romanian 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...
, as a member of the large National Salvation Front (FSN) party. In April 1991, he became Minister of Transport in Petre Roman
Petre Roman
Petre Roman is a Romanian politician and a former Prime Minister of Romania. He served from 1989 to 1991, when his government was overthrown by the intervention of the miners led by Miron Cozma. Roman is a member of the Club of Madrid, grouping 66 democratic former heads of state and government...
's Cabinet, and continued to hold this position during Theodor Stolojan
Theodor Stolojan
Theodor Dumitru Stolojan is a Romanian politician. An economist by training, he is a leader of the Democratic-Liberal Party. He previously served as Prime minister of Romania from September 1991 to November 1992. He and his wife Elena have a son, Vlad Stolojan, and a daughter, Ada Palea...
's "Cabinet of technocrats" in September 1991 - November 1992. In 1992, after the FSN split in two factions—the Social Democratic Party of Romania
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...
(PDSR, later PSD), led by Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
, and the Democratic Party (PD), led by Petre Roman
Petre Roman
Petre Roman is a Romanian politician and a former Prime Minister of Romania. He served from 1989 to 1991, when his government was overthrown by the intervention of the miners led by Miron Cozma. Roman is a member of the Club of Madrid, grouping 66 democratic former heads of state and government...
, Băsescu joined the PD faction. In 1992, he was elected to the lower house of the Romanian Parliament, the 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...
, then re-elected for the 1996-2000 term.
Concurrently with his second term in Parliament, from November 1996 to June 2000, Băsescu also served as Minister of Transport in the center-right governments of Victor Ciorbea
Victor Ciorbea
Victor Ciorbea is a Romanian politician. He was the Mayor of Bucharest in 1996-1997 and, after his resignation from office, Prime Minister of Romania from 12 December 1996 to 30 March 1998.-Biography:...
, Radu Vasile
Radu Vasile
Radu Vasile is a Romanian politician, historian and poet.-Education and Professional Activity:*1967 - Graduate, with exceptional results, of the Faculty of History - University of Bucharest...
, and Mugur Isărescu
Mugur Isarescu
Mugur Isărescu is the Governor of the National Bank of Romania. From 22 December 1999 to 28 November 2000 he served as Prime Minister. He is a member of the Romanian Academy....
.
In December 1997, he gave an interview to Claudiu Săftoiu
Claudiu Săftoiu
Claudiu Elvis Săftoiu is a Romanian journalist. From December 2004 to October 2006, he was an adviser to President Traian Băsescu on matters of domestic policy; subsequently, until March 2007, he directed the Foreign Intelligence Service .He was married to former presidential adviser and current...
of the newspaper 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...
, in which he accused Prime-Minister Victor Ciorbea
Victor Ciorbea
Victor Ciorbea is a Romanian politician. He was the Mayor of Bucharest in 1996-1997 and, after his resignation from office, Prime Minister of Romania from 12 December 1996 to 30 March 1998.-Biography:...
of not implementing enough reforms, although Ciorbea was accused by the Socialist opposition of being excessively reformist. This became the first episode in an open dispute within the ruling center-right coalition, a dispute that eventually led to Democratic Party ministers, including Băsescu, resigning from the cabinet, which, in turn, led to Ciorbea's resignation. Subsequently (1998), Băsescu resumed his previous ministerial position in the new cabinet headed by Radu Vasile
Radu Vasile
Radu Vasile is a Romanian politician, historian and poet.-Education and Professional Activity:*1967 - Graduate, with exceptional results, of the Faculty of History - University of Bucharest...
.
During his tenure as Minister of Transportation, Băsescu oversaw privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of Romania's merchant fleet
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
. While some argued that the aging ships at the time were of minimal value, many Romanians believed the compensation received for the ships was artificially low. The "scandal" of the fleet sale became known in Romania as The Fleet File (Dosarul Flota) Affair. Prosecutors brought charges against Băsescu, but it was not proven that he was involved in any malfeasances. In 1996, Băsescu was the first Romanian parliamentarian to renounce his parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which members of the parliament or legislature are granted partial immunity from prosecution. Before prosecuting, it is necessary that the immunity be removed, usually by a superior court of justice or by the parliament itself...
, in order to allow judicial procedures related to the Fleet File Affair to continue against him (Romanian MPs were, by default, granted immunity from prosecution
Parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which members of the parliament or legislature are granted partial immunity from prosecution. Before prosecuting, it is necessary that the immunity be removed, usually by a superior court of justice or by the parliament itself...
of any kind). Although the case against him was closed at the time for lack of evidence, it was reopened in early 2004, in what some considered a political maneuver against him sponsored by the then PSD
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...
government. In 2004, the case was brought before the High Court of Cassation and Justice
High Court of Cassation and Justice
The High Court of Cassation and Justice is Romania's supreme court, and the court of last resort. It is the equivalent of France's Cour de cassation and serves a similar function to other courts of cassation around the world...
, however the judges decided to send it back to the Prosecutor's Office citing procedural errors (the signature of a prosecutor was missing). In December 2007, the Romanian National Anti-corruption Directorate (Direcţia Naţională Anticorupţie), a subdivision of the General Prosecutor Office, ruled to end the investigation, based on the financial expertise that there was not prejudice from the association of Romanian NM Petromin SA Constanţa Norwegian Torvald Klaveness group (April 1991 - August 2000). However the case is still opened as this is only the latest expertise published and the only one who serves as evidence in favor of Basescu. Some have seen this as a political maneuver destined to prove his innocence. In total 136 people were investigated, 80 of which, including Băsescu, were retained for the investigation of this case, while the facts pertaining to 51 others were separated for independent investigations.
Mayor of Bucharest
In 2000, Băsescu was elected Mayor of BucharestBucharest
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....
, winning the run-off against PDSR
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...
candidate Sorin Oprescu
Sorin Oprescu
Sorin Mircea Oprescu is a Romanian independent politician and medical doctor who is currently serving as Mayor of Bucharest.-Political activity:...
by a slim margin (50.69% to 49.31%), despite trailing 24% behind him in the first round.
As Mayor, he was credited with a reduction in the number of stray dog
Stray dog
Stray dog or stray dogs may refer to:Dogs:* Any sort of feral dog such as free-ranging urban dogs or canines without owners running lose in rural areas or around villages or small communities* Pariah dog, a specific type of feral dog...
s (although he sometimes used measures such as large-scale euthanasia) roaming freely through the streets of the city from approximately 200,000–300,000 in 2000 to 25,000 in 2004, and thus in the number of dog bite injuries from 1500/month to under 200/month. This campaign was controversial, as many opposed mass dog euthanasia. On the other hand, there were also numerous cases of people asking the authorities to take the stray dogs away, but after this was done, neighbors, who had been feeding the dogs, would show up at the shelter to take them back to their neighborhoods. The campaign resulted in nearly 48,000 dogs being put down just in 2001, with fewer numbers in the following years. In 2004, Băsescu presented the situation as a success.
Băsescu also claimed success in improvements to the water and lighting systems of the city, which prior to that were in a very bad state; as well as in modernisation of the public transportation system in the city.
His tenure was however marked by constant conflicts with the governing PSD
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...
-controlled institutions. Citing the need for decentralisation, the central government led by 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...
passed several ordinance
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
s transferring powers from the city Mayor to Mayors of the city's six sectors
Sectors of Bucharest
The Municipality of Bucharest is divided into six administrative sectors , each of which has their own mayor and council, and has responsibility over local affairs, such as secondary streets, parks, schools and the cleaning services.Each of the six sectors contains a number of informal districts ...
and to the city council
General Council of Bucharest
The General Council of Bucharest is the legislative body of the Municipality of Bucharest, and is made up of 55 councillors elected every four years...
. Băsescu accused council members of corruption and obstruction; he also successfully challenged several council resolutions in Administrative Courts. As a consequence, on 10 January 2002, the central government decided to dissolve the council, yet it annulled that decision later on. These conflicts led to the blocking or delay of several infrastructure loans, financed by BEI
European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank is the European Union's long-term lending institution established in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome. A policy-driven bank, the EIB supports the EU’s priority objectives, especially European integration and the development of economically weak regions...
, for municipal heating and road networks, and to blocking city's ability to borrow and finance reconstruction.
In February 2003, Băsescu bought from the state a 369 m² apartment in a nationalised house downtown 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....
for the equivalent of US$19,000. A scandal broke, as the request to buy the house was approved by the Mayor's Office, at a time when Băsescu was mayor. He explained that he had filed in October 2002 an application to the specialized state agency (not to the Mayor's office, which was not the owner of the building) for the apartment to be sold to him on the basis of the Romanian Law 10 of 2001, which he claimed "gives priority to existing tenants to buy previously nationalized houses, no matter whether they already owned other houses", and that only the price was calculated based on a 1995 law. However, the press noted that, according to the contract, the sale was based on Law 112 of 1995, and that Law 10/2001 had no provisions about selling anything. Th 1995 law prevents, with the provisions of Art. 9, sale to tenants that already owned or sold a house after January 1, 1990, Băsescu already having bought a villa near Bucharest in October 2002, donated to his daughter shortly after. Furthermore, the same law gave the right to buy the nationalised houses only to those who were tenants at the time of its coming into force (i.e. second half of 1996), while Băsescu had only lived in that house since August 2002. According to the press, these facts made it impossible for Băsescu to legally buy the apartment. When the scandal broke again in early 2005, Băsescu first stated that he would give up the apartment, but changed his mind later, announcing that he would renounce it only if the Prosecutor's Office decided he had broken the law. The prosecutors investigating the matter concluded that, according to the provisions of the law, Băsescu did not breach it when he bought the apartment.
In 2004, Băsescu was elected for a second term in office, winning 54.9% of the votes directly in the first round; the runner-up, Mircea Geoană
Mircea Geoana
Dan Mircea Geoană is a Romanian politician, who served as president of the upper chamber of the Romanian Parliament, the Senate from December 20, 2008 until he was revoked by the senators on November 23, 2011. From 21 April 2005 until 21 February 2010 he was the head of the Partidul Social...
of the PSD
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...
, at that time the Foreign Minister of Romania, received 29.7%. Băsescu resigned as Mayor later that year, after winning the presidency of Romania.
Leader of Justice and Truth Alliance
In 2001, Băsescu was elected chairman of the PD, defeating Petre RomanPetre Roman
Petre Roman is a Romanian politician and a former Prime Minister of Romania. He served from 1989 to 1991, when his government was overthrown by the intervention of the miners led by Miron Cozma. Roman is a member of the Club of Madrid, grouping 66 democratic former heads of state and government...
, who had previously led the party for nine years, after Roman managed to get only 2% of the vote at the 2000 presidential elections. At the time the PD had a social-democrat ideology. That same year, Basescu's party and Iliescu's PDSR both attempted to join the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
. Băsescu tried to present his party as more democratically-oriented stating that "PDSR is far from modern social-democracy". He also negotiated a merger with Virgil Măgureanu
Virgil Măgureanu
Virgil Măgureanu, is a Romanian sociologist that was the head of the main intelligence service of Romania, Serviciul Român de Informaţii, or SRI between 1990-1997...
's PNR, a party that had many former 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...
employees.
In 2003, Băsescu negotiated an electoral alliance for the PD with 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) in order to create a cohesive opposition against the then-ruling PSD
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...
. The new pact, called the Justice and Truth Alliance (Alianţa DA), ran common candidates in local and national elections, and agreed to vote as a bloc in Parliament. As chairman of PD, he became a co-chairman of the DA alliance alongside the then PNL
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...
chairman Theodor Stolojan. In 2003, Stolojan, who was the Justice and Truth candidate for president of Romania in 2004, stepped down as PNL
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...
chairman and DA
Justice and Truth
The Justice and Truth Alliance was a political alliance comprising two political parties in Romania: the centre-right liberal National Liberal Party and the initially social-democrat Democratic Party , which later switched to center-right ideology.As the political formation with the largest...
co-chairman, being replaced in these positions by 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...
. Although Stolojan announced to have withdrawn because of health concerns, Băsescu claimed to the press that the reason behind this decision was blackmail from political opponents (Stolojan did not confirm this). This sudden change in leadership of the DA alliance transformed the 2004 presidential election in a race between two leaders of parties affiliated with the Socialist International. Editorialist Dan Pavel
Dan Pavel
Dan Pavel is a Romanian political scientist, academic, politician, journalist and 1989 revolutionary. He was a consultant to Gigi Becali in 2003.-References:...
decried the development as a "marginalization of the right", and the presidential race as a choice between two former "FSN cadres". Nevertheless, there were significant differences in the economic programs of the DA alliance and PSD in 2004. The DA alliance leaned towards economic liberalism
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
, with the introduction of a 16% flat tax
Flat tax
A flat tax is a tax system with a constant marginal tax rate. Typically the term flat tax is applied in the context of an individual or corporate income that will be taxed at one marginal rate...
that replaced the progressive personal income tax of up to 40%, and the 25% corporate tax. In January 2005, Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
described the DA alliance as "centrist".
Băsescu's party would not officially abandon social-democrat ideals until 2005, after PD's leadership was discontent with the support given by the Socialist International to the PDSR during the 2004 elections, and by the fact that the Socialist International admitted the PDSR's successor, PSD, with full membership rights, while the PD remained only an associate member. In a 2006 interview, Băsescu stated that his party's exit from the Socialist International was a "huge concession" he made to PNL after discussions of a merger of PD and PNL began in 2004. Change in the leadership of PNL prevented the merger; according to Băsescu, most of the PNL leaders that negotiated the joint governance with Băsescu in 2004 had been marginalized by 2006, making collaboration difficult. In December 2006, those members of the PNL that favored closer ties with Băsescu formed their own party, 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...
, which eventually merged with the PD in January 2008. After December 2006, the remainder of the PNL became hostile to Băsescu and formed a minority government supported by the PSD, effectively marking the end of the DA alliance. (See Conflict with Prime Minister Tăriceanu below for further details.)
2004 Presidential campaign
Following Theodor StolojanTheodor Stolojan
Theodor Dumitru Stolojan is a Romanian politician. An economist by training, he is a leader of the Democratic-Liberal Party. He previously served as Prime minister of Romania from September 1991 to November 1992. He and his wife Elena have a son, Vlad Stolojan, and a daughter, Ada Palea...
's surprise withdrawal from the 2004 presidential elections
Romanian presidential election, 2004
A presidential election was held in Romania on November 28, 2004. 12 candidates competed for the office. As no candidate won more than 50% of the votes, a run-off was held on December 12, 2004, between the two leading candidates: prime minister Adrian Năstase of the ruling Social Democratic Party...
, Băsescu entered the presidential race on behalf of the Justice and Truth Alliance. His main opponent was then Prime Minister and PSD president Adrian Năstase. Like Băsescu, Năstase was a former Communist Party member. Although Năstase came out ahead in the first round by 7%, Băsescu achieved a surprise comeback and won the December 12 run-off election by a 2.46% margin, receiving 51.23% of the vote. Băsescu won the Presidential election by using an anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
and anti-corruption rhetoric. In the live TV debate with 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...
before the 2004 run-off presidential election
Romanian presidential election, 2004
A presidential election was held in Romania on November 28, 2004. 12 candidates competed for the office. As no candidate won more than 50% of the votes, a run-off was held on December 12, 2004, between the two leading candidates: prime minister Adrian Năstase of the ruling Social Democratic Party...
, Băsescu caught his opponent off-guard with a rhetorical remark: "You know what Romania's greatest curse is right now? It's that Romanians have to choose between two former 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...
members."
During the 2004 presidential campaign, before a TV interview with PSD counter-candidate 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...
, Băsescu gave the latter a paper and told him: “Put it in your pocket and read it when you are away!” Similarly, in June 2006, at the oath-taking ceremony of Radu Stroe
Radu Stroe
Radu Stroe is a Romanian navigational engineer and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party , he was a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Maramureş County from 2000 to 2004, and sat in the Romanian Senate from 2004 to 2008, representing the same county. He returned to the...
as the new secretary general of the Government, Băsescu gave him a sheet of paper as a "gift". After seeing it, Stroe went pale and refused to make its content public. When asked, Băsescu said its content was not classified. Both Adrian Năstase and Radu Stroe were previously involved in corruption scandals.
President of Romania
Running on a strong reform and anti-corruption platform, Băsescu's victory was characterized in the media as Romania's "Orange RevolutionOrange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
", in reference to the reformists' perceived victory in neighboring Ukraine
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
during the same period, and in reference to the orange color used by the winning Justice and Truth Alliance. In line with an agreement between the PD and PNL, he appointed PNL leader Popescu-Tăriceanu as Prime Minister. In order to form a majority, PNL and PD formed a coalition with the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, is the main political organisation representing the ethnic Hungarians of Romania....
and the Humanist Party
Conservative Party (Romania)
The Conservative Party of Romania is a political party formed in 1991, after the fall of Communism, under the name of the Romanian Humanist Party . From 2005 until December 3, 2006, the party was a junior member of the ruling coalition...
, which later changed its name to the Conservative Party (PC). While the platform of the former has been generally in line with that of the Justice and Truth Alliance, the latter (PC) was needed in the coalition in order to obtain more than 50% of the seats in Parliament, due to the fact that apart from the opposition Social-Democrat Party, many seats were held also by the ultra-nationalist Greater Romania Party
Greater Romania Party
The Greater Romania Party is a Romanian radical right-wing, ultra-nationalist political party, led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The party is sometimes referred to in English as the Great Romania Party....
.
In late 2006, the PC withdrew from the cabinet, a move at least partially related to conflicts between Băsescu and PC leader Dan Voiculescu
Dan Voiculescu
Dan Voiculescu is a Romanian politician and former business man. He is the Vicepresident of the Romanian Senate and founding president of the Conservative Party in Romania. ....
. The withdrawal of the PC left the coalition without a majority in the Parliament.
Domestic policy
In domestic politics, Băsescu often has claimed he fights against high-level corruption. In spring 2005, Romania resolved a hostage crisis in IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
involving three Romanian journalists and their guide. In 2005, he also focused on pressing the government to provide relief to thousands of Romanians left homeless by widespread flooding throughout the spring and summer.
On 18 December 2006, Băsescu delivered a speech to Parliament (broadcast live on TV) in which he condemned Romania's pre-1989 communist regime. Some members of the opposition, mainly of the ultra-nationalist Greater Romania Party
Greater Romania Party
The Greater Romania Party is a Romanian radical right-wing, ultra-nationalist political party, led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The party is sometimes referred to in English as the Great Romania Party....
(PRM), and some members of the mainstream 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...
, tried to disturb the speech. Particularly vocal was the ultra-nationalist PRM leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor
Corneliu Vadim Tudor
Corneliu Vadim Tudor is leader of the Greater Romania Party , writer, journalist and a Member of the European Parliament...
, who walked with posters throughout the Parliament floor, whistled and interrupted Băsescu speech several times.
Foreign policy
Băsescu repeatedly stated that Romania's accession to the European UnionEuropean 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...
remained a top priority, and he was president when the country acceded on January 1, 2007. Both the president and the government of Prime Minister Popescu-Tăriceanu focused on Romania's planned accession to the EU, which remained a central component in Romania's foreign policy.
In addition, Băsescu has focused on a strong 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...
, a relationship which during the 2004 presidential campaign he called the "Bucharest-London-Washington axis". In real terms, this meant a continued commitment to maintain Romanian troops in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and a smaller contingent in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
; and an agreement signed in December 2005 between Romania and the U.S. to allow U.S. troops to use a Romanian military facility (Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport
Mihail Kogalniceanu International Airport
Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport is situated in south-east Romania, in the commune of Mihail Kogălniceanu, north northwest of Constanţa. It is the main airport of Dobrogea region and it provides access to the Constanţa County, the Constanţa city port and Black Sea Romanian resorts...
). Băsescu is singled out in a report by an investigator of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
on illegal activities of the US secret service CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
in Europe, Dick Marty
Dick Marty
Dick Marty is a Swiss politician and former state prosecutor of the canton of Ticino. He is a member of the Swiss Council of States , and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.-Education:Marty holds a doctorate in law from the University of Neuchâtel with the thesis:...
, as one of the persons who authorized or at least knew about and must stand accountable for the black site
Black site
In military terminology, a black site is a location at which an unacknowledged black project is conducted. Recently, the term has gained notoriety in describing secret prisons operated by the United States Central Intelligence Agency , generally outside of U.S. territory and legal jurisdiction. It...
at the Mihail Kogălniceanu
Mihail Kogalniceanu International Airport
Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport is situated in south-east Romania, in the commune of Mihail Kogălniceanu, north northwest of Constanţa. It is the main airport of Dobrogea region and it provides access to the Constanţa County, the Constanţa city port and Black Sea Romanian resorts...
military base from 2003 to 2005. Băsescu made strong ties with the President of the United States, who in return called him a friend: "The President and I are friends. Romania and the United States are friends, and we're allies".
In June 2006, Băsescu came into open conflict with Popescu-Tăriceanu after the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister announced that they and the PNL sought to withdraw Romania's troops from Iraq. However, the troops stayed in Iraq, after Băsescu called a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council
Supreme Council of National Defense (Romania)
The Supreme Council of National Defense is the autonomous administrative authority in Romania, invested by the Constitution with the task of organizing coordinating, in a unitary fashion, the activities related to the defense of the country and national security.-Control:The activity of the...
, which voted that the troops should stay.
Băsescu has been vocal in calling for a regional approach to security in 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...
basin, which he noted remained susceptible to trans-border security threats such as drug and human trafficking. Băsescu alleged "that 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...
might have been involved in his suspension", citing his pro-Western foreign policy as a reason.
Băsescu has tried to improve Romania's relations with 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...
, with which Romania shares a common language and culture. Furthermore, he has expressed several times his belief in the future unification of the two countries, either politically or in the framework of the European Union. His player attitude has brought some practical success, but also an increase in anti-Romanian rhetoric from the Communist government of Moldova, led by Vladimir Voronin
Vladimir Voronin
Vladimir Nicolaevici Voronin is a Moldovan politician. He was the third President of Moldova from 2001 until 2009 and has been the First Secretary of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova since 1994...
. A divisive issue remains to this day the opening of two Romanian consulates outside the capital of Moldova, as well as 900,000 Moldovans applying for Romanian citizenship. In both cases, Băsescu strongly supported moves at strengthening relations with Moldova, while the Moldovan Communist leadership sought to cool down Băsescu's energy.
Băsescu stated that Romania regards Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
as an integral part of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
as an outcome of Kosovo status process and that Romania will not recognize any unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo.
Romania formally terminated its mission in Iraq on June 4, 2009, and pulled out its troops. On July 23 the last Romanian soldiers left Iraq. Three Romanian soldiers had been killed during their mission, and at least eight were wounded.
Conflict with Prime Minister Tăriceanu
Băsescu has remained very popular, due to his open style and hands-on approach. In his electoral campaign, Băsescu promised to be a preşedinte jucător , "player-president", in contrast to a more withdrawn president who would be just a mediator among political forces (thus creating in the eyes of some a juridical conflict of a constitutional nature). After he became president, as legally required, he resigned from the Democratic Party. However, he remained very involved in day-to-day politics of Romania, often being accused by other political leaders of overstepping constitutional boundaries on the role of the President. During the course of his presidency, his relations with Popescu-Tăriceanu gradually soured, particularly following the Prime Minister's reversal of course in July 2005 after Tăriceanu initially announced he would resign and prompt early parliamentary elections, which some hoped would have resulted in the Justice and Truth Alliance governing alone. The ensuing poor relations between the President and the Prime Minister have become one of the primary themes of Romanian post-2004 politics, with many unrelated disputes converging to this dichotomy. Under the Romanian Constitution, the president appoints the prime minister, but does not have the authority to dismiss him.On January 11, 2007, Băsescu presided over the first half of the meeting of the Consiliul Suprem al Magistraturii (CSM; Superior Council of the Magistracy) at which the election of a new President of CSM took place. Before the candidacies were announced, Băsescu publicly said to judge Anton Pandrea: "I heard you have announced your candidacy, Mr. Pandrea. I wish you great success". His former counsellor Renate Weber
Renate Weber
Renate Weber is a Romanian lawyer and human rights activist who, in November 2007, was elected as . She is the first Romanian appointed as Chief of an ....
later claimed that if Băsescu hadn't said those words, Pandrea might not have been elected: "If the President hadn’t said that, it would have been another candidacy, if not another President." When asked by the press, Băsescu responded to this criticism with: “I did wrong, I did wrong”
A public scandal broke out when Elena Udrea
Elena Udrea
Elena Gabriela Udrea is a Romanian politician. A member of the Democratic Liberal Party , she has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Bucharest since 2008...
, a presidential adviser, revealed to the press that the then Prime Minister Tăriceanu passed to Băsescu a "scandalous" written note. When the matter became public debate, Băsescu stated about the note: “Prime Minister offered me a partnership, but, unfortunately, with our oligarchies”
The note, written by the hand of the Prime-Minister, was attached on top of a report from the Petromidia company, then under investigation by Prosecutors, and asked the President to "talk about it" during a scheduled visit at the Prosecutor Office. Băsescu stated: "Such type of partnership was unacceptable for me (...) it would have meant that nothing has changed in Romania after the elections." On the subsequent reaction of the Prime-Minister, Băsescu said: "Prime-Minister was consequent. and absolutely not naive." According to Băsescu, Tăriceanu phoned the Prosecutor General of Romania, then tried to put further pressure in a specially dedicated speech to the Parliament on November 8, 2006, and tried "the same thing" with Justice Minister Monica Macovei, arranging a meeting with a businessman at the Government Palace.
In response, the Prime Minister declared that the matter was just an attempt to hide "what is going on in Cotroceni
Cotroceni Palace
Cotroceni Palace is a palace in Bucharest which is the residence of the President of Romania, located at Bulevardul Geniului, nr. 1.On Cotroceni Hill, in 1679, Şerban Cantacuzino built a monastery...
and around it" and publicly accused Băsescu of facilitating contracts to companies "close to him". According to the prime-minister, the newly appointed PD Transportation Minister told a businessman "The President sent me to take care of you". He also stated the Băsescu wanted to put the Department for Administration of the State Heritage and Protocol under the control of the family of Elena Udrea. Băsescu immediately counteracted, publicly requesting Tăriceanu to produce evidence to support his claims, to send them to the Prosecutor's Office, and to revoke the ministers allegedly involved. "In case the Prime-Minister does not produce such proof, the President considers that the statements made by are without substance and are of such a nature as to distract the public attention from his own deed", a Presidential communique stated.
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...
, an influential businessman and PNL member, stated on a public TV station that, in his opinion, Tăriceanu's note was a "friendly gesture, a sign of normality". Patriciu also said that in October 2005 discussion with Băsescu, the latter has advised him to invest in any country in 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...
basin except 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...
. According to Patriciu, Băsescu said "(...) because we must do so that Russians invest in Romania, in order to have them hostages, because we certainly will have a conflict with Russia".
Furthermore, now opposition member Dan Voiculescu
Dan Voiculescu
Dan Voiculescu is a Romanian politician and former business man. He is the Vicepresident of the Romanian Senate and founding president of the Conservative Party in Romania. ....
accused the president of influence peddling, producing a note by Băsescu to a Minister, which as Voiculescu claimed, was a request to support selling cheap energy to the ALRO company, where Democratic Liberal Party
Democratic Liberal Party (Romania)
The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance...
(PDL) leader Theodor Stolojan
Theodor Stolojan
Theodor Dumitru Stolojan is a Romanian politician. An economist by training, he is a leader of the Democratic-Liberal Party. He previously served as Prime minister of Romania from September 1991 to November 1992. He and his wife Elena have a son, Vlad Stolojan, and a daughter, Ada Palea...
was a stockholder. The note said: "Minister Seres, I ask you to analyse this letter and take measures according to Government’s interests and, if possible with the interest of national economy in mind."
Daily newspaper Adevărul
Adevarul
Adevărul is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in 1871 and reestablished in 1888, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Romanian Kingdom's existence, adopting an independent pro-democratic position, advocating land reform and universal suffrage...
published another note, in which the President requested the PD Transport Minister to analyze and find a "legal solution" to a petition from a company close to Băsescu. The newspaper claimed that this was outside the legal prerogatives of the President, accused Băsescu of sending the note directly to the Minister instead of following the usual administrative procedures, and furthermore noted that the matter was a commercial dispute that neither the president nor the Transport Minister had the legal means to solve.
In the spring of 2007, when Foreign Minister Mihai-Răzvan Ungureanu resigned, Băsescu refused to accept Prime-Minister Tăriceanu's nomination of Adrian Cioroianu
Adrian Cioroianu
Adrian Mihai Cioroianu is a Romanian historian, politician, journalist, and essayist. A lecturer for the History Department at the University of Bucharest, he is the author of several books dealing with Romanian history...
as the country's new Minister of Foreign Affairs, claiming that Cioroianu did not have enough experience. On April 5, 2007, the Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Romania
The Constitutional Court of Romania is the institution which rules on whether the laws, decrees or other bills enacted by Romanian authorities are in conformity with the Constitution....
decided that "The Romanian President doesn't have veto power, but, if he observes that the proposed person does not correspond to the legal conditions required to be a member of Government, he can ask the Prime Minister to renounce his proposal". On the same day (two months after Ungureanu announced his resignation and 17 days after Ungureanu's resignation was accepted by the president), Băsescu accepted Cioroianu and the latter assumed office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Impeachment vote by the Parliament
In early 2007, Băsescu was proposed for impeachment by the members of the opposition parties for allegedly unconstitutional conduct. Allegedly, one of the major issues in the confrontation was the activity of Justice Minister Monica MacoveiMonica Macovei
Monica Luisa Macovei is a Romanian politician, lawyer and former prosecutor, currently a Member of the European Parliament from the Democratic Liberal Party. She was the Minister of Justice of Romania in the first cabinet of Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu...
, who supported prosecutors' efforts to follow up on cases of corruption, especially those involving politically connected individuals. Among the main reasons given in the proposal to suspend Băsescu were:
- infringing upon and "substituting the authority" of the Government, the judicial system and the Parliament.
- committing acts of "political partisanship" with direct reference to the Democratic Party, abuse of power and acting more like a "judge of the other public authorities" than a "collaborator", thus "abandoning his role of impartial mediator required by the Romanian Constitution."
- manipulating and "instigating public opinion against other state institutions" such as the Parliament and the Government.
Băsescu and his supporters denied the accusations, stating that his actions and statements were ways of fighting against corruption in the political and judicial systems, and against "circles of business interests" with unlawful purposes.
The Constitutional Court of Romania
Constitutional Court of Romania
The Constitutional Court of Romania is the institution which rules on whether the laws, decrees or other bills enacted by Romanian authorities are in conformity with the Constitution....
found no clear evidence of his breach of the Constitution in the sense required by the fundamental law. However, the court ruling was only consultative and the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament voted in favor of Băsescu's impeachment on April 19, 2007, with 322 votes for the impeachment proposal, 108 against and 8 abstentions (the minimum number of votes needed was 233). Băsescu contested the decision, but the Constitutional Court rejected his appeal as inadmissible, and upheld the vote.
In the meantime, the independent Macovei and the PD
Democratic Liberal Party (Romania)
The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance...
ministers had been dismissed by Prime Minister Popescu-Tăriceanu, while the European election
European Parliament election, 2007 (Romania)
Romania elected its members of the European Parliament for the first time on 25 November 2007; the election was initially scheduled for 13 May, but the PM postponed it for domestic political reasons...
had been postponed to the fall of 2007. Pro-Băsescu politicians have characterized the anti-Băsescu coalition that formed as "the black alliance", as it contained a broad spectrum of political parties and interests: Social-Democrats favoring heavy state involvement in the economy, National-Liberals and Conservatives favoring business interests, Hungarian minority MPs, and anti-Hungarian ultra-nationalists.
In 2007, when Traian Băsescu was temporarily suspended from Presidency, he said in a meeting: "It seems [former] President Ion Iliescu turned to more modern means [of removing political opponents], this time without calling the miners to "defend the country"
Mineriad
See also The 1990s: the rise and decline of miners' unionsA Mineriad is the term used to name any of the successive violent interventions of miners in Bucharest. These interventions were generally seen as aimed at wrestling policy changes or simply material advantages from the current political...
, but used 322 Members of Parliament for my impeachment."
Impeachment referendum
As a result of the impeachment vote by the Parliament, Băsescu was suspended from his function as president on April 19, 2007, and a national referendumRomanian presidential impeachment referendum, 2007
The Romanian presidential impeachment referendum of 2007 was conducted in order to determine whether the president of Romania Traian Băsescu should be forced to step down.On April 19, 2007 the Romanian parliament suspended Băsescu...
was held on May 19, 2007 to decide by popular vote whether to dismiss the President. According to the electoral law (article 5(2) of the Referendum Law), an absolute majority of all Romanians with the right to vote is required for a positive result in a dismissal referendum, which means that almost 9 million people would have had to vote against Băsescu. After the impeachment vote, several public rallies to support Băsescu in the referendum and protest against his suspension were organized by PD and PLD both in Romania (Bucharest, Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
, etc.), as well as abroad (e.g. in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
).
On April 17, Băsescu stated that if Parliament voted for his impeachment, he would resign "five minutes" after the vote, avoiding a referendum for dismissal and triggering early presidential elections. However, on April 20 he decided not to resign, claiming he wished to limit the period of political instability.
Băsescu and his supporters in the Democratic Party also suggested that his political opponents would try to modify the electoral law in order to obstruct a previously suspended president to run in the elections again, following a Rolandas Paksas
Rolandas Paksas
Rolandas Paksas is a Lithuanian politician who was President of Lithuania from 2003 to 2004. He was previously Prime Minister of Lithuania in 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001, and he also served as Mayor of Vilnius from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001...
scenario.
On April 25, the Constitutional Court approved the modifications brought by parliament to the Referendum Law. The new article 10 (regarding the presidential impeachment process) considers that the impeachment process "will be approved through the majority of votes for the participants at the referendum, and article 5(2) does not apply to this type of referendum". Therefore, the 19 May referendum remained valid, despite the participation of less than 40% of eligible Romanians. However, since only a 25% minority of voters voted in the affirmative, Băsescu regained full prerogatives on May 24, after the referendum results were confirmed.
PDL-PSD coalition government
In December 2008, in the aftermath of legislative elections which gave PDL and PSD, similar scores, the two joined forces to form a coalition, under a PDL prime minister. After one of its ministers was expelled from the government by the prime minister against the will of the party, the PSD decided to leave the government in early October. Soon afterwards, the government fell following the adoption of a motion of no confidenceMotion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in Parliament. Băsescu nominated Lucian Croitoru
Lucian Croitoru
Lucian Croitoru is a Romanian economist. On October 15, 2009, following the defeat of Emil Boc's government through a motion of no confidence, President Traian Băsescu nominated Croitoru to be Prime Minister of Romania...
as a new prime minister, against the will of the Parliament majority, which supported Klaus Iohannis as prime minister. After Croitoru was voted down, Băsescu nominated as prime minister PDL member Liviu Negoiţă
Liviu Negoita
Liviu Gheorghe "Livache" Negoiţă is a Romanian politician and lawyer, member of the Democratic Liberal Party and the mayor of Bucharest's Sector 3 since 2004.-Biography:...
, ignoring again the proposal of the Parliament majority. A caretaker government remained in office. The ongoing political crisis prevented Romania from getting two instalments of a 20-billion-euro loan from the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and the 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...
.
2009 Presidential campaign
Băsescu ran for a second term in the 2009 presidential electionsRomanian presidential election, 2009
The first round of 2009 Romanian presidential elections was held in Romania on 22 November and a run-off round between Traian Băsescu and Mircea Geoană was held on 6 December 2009. Although most exit polls favored Geoană in the runoff, the authorities declared Băsescu the narrow victor with 50.33%...
. Incumbent Băsescu and his Social-Democrat opponent Mircea Geoană
Mircea Geoana
Dan Mircea Geoană is a Romanian politician, who served as president of the upper chamber of the Romanian Parliament, the Senate from December 20, 2008 until he was revoked by the senators on November 23, 2011. From 21 April 2005 until 21 February 2010 he was the head of the Partidul Social...
offered different ways to tackle the economic crisis. Băsescu pledged to cut public spending and promised "more equity" to people living in the countryside.
Băsescu tried to portray himself as the champion of the people against what he called the "corrupt political elite". A widely-used election poster carried the text: "They cannot avoid what they are afraid of". Băsescu's opponents countered that he is part of that elite, simply with different backers. In a Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
meeting with his supporters he claimed that he "was the one to stop doubtful privatisations," implicitly accusing rival Social-Democrats of underhand practices while in power. He vowed to fight against the Parliament, which blocked his bid to install the Croitoru cabinet, and the "media moguls". In the campaign for the first round, his favourite campaign theme was reducing the number of lawmakers. This theme proved popular, with the majority of the electorate voting for the reduction of the number of lawmakers from current 471 to a maximum of 300, and in favour of a transition from the current bicameral Parliament to an a unicameral one in a referendum held simultaneously with the first round of elections
Romanian parliamentary reform referendum, 2009
A referendum on modifying the size and structure of the Parliament from the current bicameral one with 137 senators and 334 deputies to a unicameral one with a maximum of 300 seats was held in Romania on 22 November 2009, at the same time as the first round of the 2009 presidential election...
.
In the first round held on November 22, Băsescu came first with 32.44% of the votes, and Geoană second with 31.15%. Although Băsescu claimed the results of the first round as "a significant vote for the right" because he and Crin Antonescu
Crin Antonescu
George-Crin-Laurenţiu Antonescu is a Romanian politician, currently serving as President of the National Liberal Party . He was a candidate for the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2009. He is a member of the Senate, his election having taken place during the 2008 legislative election...
together received over 50% of the vote, the next day Antonescu refused to back Băsescu in the runoff, and shortly thereafter announced an alliance with Geoană. Subsequently Băsescu reproached Antonescu to "have thrown himself in the arms of the Social-Democrat party, a party opposed to reforms", and added "This alliance will bring us back to 20 years ago when the PSD was controlling all state institutions". Antonescu in turn called Băsescu "a demagogue and a populist", and vowed to support Geoană as "the lesser of two evils".
On November 26, 2009, footage from the 2004 election campaign showing Băsescu apparently hitting or pushing a 10-year-old boy at a campaign rally was broadcast. The press unfavourable to Băsescu interpreted the footage as "hitting with his fist", whereas the press favorable to Băsescu either interpreted it as a push, or called the footage fake. Asked in a talk show about the incident, the President stated that he does not recall it, but did not outright deny it either, saying that perhaps the child uttered profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
. Later, he made a public declaration that "never in his life has he hit a child", but he refused to comment on whether the footage was video manipulated or not. PDL member Roberta Anastase, who had accompanied Băsescu during the rally, declared the child uttered profanity and that Băsescu pushed the child aside. The footage was released within 24 hours of a declaration of 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...
, also present at the rally, who claimed that he saw Băsescu hitting a child in 2004. The boy has been identified, and was interviewed later in the night. He acknowledged that Băsescu had hit him after he chanted a slogan favourable to Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
and 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...
, but said he was not physically hurt. He also said that on the moment he was happy that Băsescu had paid attention to him, and they smiled at each other, but later he felt disappointed. He added "it was a hit as if he wanted to say: go away!" On November 27, Băsescu told a Mediafax journalist that he saw the footage "de-mounted on computer", suggesting it was manipulated. Cecilia Gheorghe, the boy's aunt, declared that the child now refuses to give further details because he is now "afraid for his life and that of his mother".
Relationship with the press
Băsescu is a major target of criticism by the press, and in turn he used controversial language to describe some of the journalists that have been critical of him.In October 2006, Traian Băsescu referred to journalist Ovidiu Zara, of Curentul newspaper, using the Romanian word "găozar" (roughly "faggot"). In 2009, the president's brother, Mircea Băsescu, also used the word "găozar" to refer to Gândul
Gândul
Gândul is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. It was founded in May 2005 by Mircea Dinescu, who used to write a daily editorial called "Vorba lu' Dinescu", and Cristian Tudor Popescu, who was also the editor-in-chief until January 2008. Its initial circulation was about 52,000...
journalist Robert Veress. In protest, leading Romanian journalist Cristian Tudor Popescu
Cristian Tudor Popescu
Cristian Tudor Popescu is a Romanian journalist, essayist and short-story writer. Author of science fiction stories during his youth, he has also hosted talk shows for various television stations, and had contributions as a literary critic and translator...
, the editor in chief of the Gândul newspaper, showed up on his TV show Cap și Pajură holding a sign reading "gazetar găozar" (roughly "faggot journalist").
On May 19, 2007, the day of the suspension referendum
Romanian presidential impeachment referendum, 2007
The Romanian presidential impeachment referendum of 2007 was conducted in order to determine whether the president of Romania Traian Băsescu should be forced to step down.On April 19, 2007 the Romanian parliament suspended Băsescu...
, Băsescu took the mobile phone of Antena 1 journalist Andreea Pană, who was filming him while he was shopping with his wife, despite being asked to leave him alone. Forgetting to turn it off, he was recorded referring to Pană as a stinking gypsy during a conversation with his wife in his car. The recording was made public by the Antena 1 TV station after the phone was returned to Pană the next day. After public outcry, Băsescu's spokesman expressed regret over the fact that "an inappropriate expression in a private discussion became public". The president of the Commission for Human Rights, Cults and Minorities in the Chamber of Deputies, Nicolae Păun
Nicolae Paun
Nicolae Păun is a Romani-Romanian politician. He is the president of the Party of the Roma, and has held the one reserved seat for Romani people in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies since 2000...
, who is himself part of the Roma community
Roma minority in Romania
The Roma constitute one of the major minorities in Romania. According to the 2002 census, they number 535,140 people or 2.5% of the total population, being the second-largest ethnic minority in Romania after Hungarians...
, stated that President Băsescu is not a racist and cannot be condemned for a statement made in private. Romani CRISS
Romani CRISS
Romani CRISS is a Romanian non-government organisation which seeks to protect the rights of the country's Romani minority and to prevent discrimination against the Roma...
, on the other hand, issued a letter of protest
Letter of Protest
A letter of protest or diplomatic note is a diplomatic document presented by one state's foreign ministry to another state.A letter of protest is written in a highly formal manner, intended to be both courteous and critical at the same time...
, saying "Romani Criss consider unacceptable for the Romanian President to use such language, sexist and racist alike." Other criticism came from the International Federation of Journalists
International Federation of Journalists
International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, is a global union federation of journalists' trade unions—the largest in the world. The organization aims to protect and strengthen the rights and freedoms of journalists...
, Agenţia de Monitorizare a Presei, and Clubul Român de Presă. Romania's National Council for Combating Discrimination
National Council for Combating Discrimination
The National Council for Combating Discrimination is an agency of the Romanian government, established in 2001 and responsible for applying Romanian and European Union anti-discrimination laws and managing the National Anti-Discrimination Plan. The legal status of the CNCD was established by the...
decided that the expression "stinking gypsy" was discriminatory and sanctioned Traian Băsescu with a warning.
In 2008, Băsescu referred to journalist Victor Ciutacu
Victor Ciutacu
Victor Ciutacu is a Romanian journalist, editor in chief at the daily newspaper Jurnalul Naţional, and the host of the TV show Vorbe grele broadcast on Antena 3.-External links:...
, the editor in chief of Jurnalul Național
Jurnalul National
Jurnalul Naţional is a Romanian newspaper, part of the Intact media group led by Dan Voiculescu, which also includes the popular TV station Antena 1....
, which was highly critical of him, as "jukebox on euros" (Romanian: "tonomat cu euro"), a meme
Meme
A meme is "an idea, behaviour or style that spreads from person to person within a culture."A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena...
that Ciutacu later used repeatedly in his TV show Vorbe grele
Vorbe grele
Vorbe grele is a TV news talk-show, on the Intact Media Group station Antena 3, hosted by Romanian journalist Victor Ciutacu...
, even in the show's logo.
During the 2009 presidential election, Băsescu released two video clips starring himself and actors that were parodying his Antena 3
Antena 3 (Romania)
Antena 3 is a Romanian TV channel, which focuses on news and current events. It was launched in May 2005 and is part of the Intact group. Antena 3 is also distributed in Serbia in the Romanian language-extra package of the DTH platform Digi TV...
critics: Mircea Badea
Mircea Badea
Mircea Badea is a Romanian political satirist, television host, media critic, radio personality and occasional actor...
, a TV Host, well known for his critical stance of Băsescu, as well as Mihai Gâdea and Valentin Stan, the host and respectively a frequent guest of the TV political talk show Sinteza Zilei.
Băsescu had a good relationship with journalists that praised him, in particular TV host Radu Moraru, of the B1 TV
B1 TV
B1 TV is a Romanian television channel, which started broadcasting on December 14, 2001.-External links:*...
show Nașul, who described Băsescu as "the greatest president of Romania in the last 20 years" in the opening of an interview with him.
Criticism and controversies
In 2006, after the Steaua Bucureşti football team qualified in the UEFA CupUEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
semifinals, Traian Băsescu, president of Romania at the time, invited the team to a Bucharest restaurant to celebrate the victory. During the festivities he was filmed drinking a glass of champagne alongside Gigi Becali
Gigi Becali
George Becali is a controversial Romanian politician and businessman, mostly known for his involvement in the Steaua Bucureşti football club.He has been a Member of the European Parliament since June 2009.-Biography:...
, the controversial owner of the team, yet after the celebration he drove his own car home. The media accused him of defying the Romanian legislation, which considers driving under the influence
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
either a summary or a criminal offense, depending on blood alcohol levels. Asked about the events, Băsescu declined a direct answer, accused the media of exaggerating and refused further comment on the incident.
In the summer of 2009, Băsescu was criticized in an editorial in Gândul
Gândul
Gândul is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. It was founded in May 2005 by Mircea Dinescu, who used to write a daily editorial called "Vorba lu' Dinescu", and Cristian Tudor Popescu, who was also the editor-in-chief until January 2008. Its initial circulation was about 52,000...
for remaining silent for a long time regarding the corruption scandal surrounding Monica Iacob Ridzi, the PD-L Youth Minister, in contrast to the harsh criticism he had expressed against ministers from other parties when they were accused of corruption (Tudor Chiuariu
Tudor Chiuariu
Tudor-Alexandru Chiuariu is a Romanian lawyer and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party , he served as Justice Minister in the Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu cabinet from April to December 2007, and has represented Bacău County in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies since December 2008...
, Codruţ Şereş
Codruţ Şereş
Ioan-Codruţ Şereş is a Romanian engineer and politician. A member of the Conservative Party , he was a member of the Romanian Senate for Maramureş County from 2004 to 2008...
). Similarly, Tom Gallagher
Thomas Gerard Gallagher
-Education and career:Tom Gallagher is holder of the chair of ethnic peace and conflict at the department of peace studies, University of Bradford. Ironically it has been alleged that he has been known to vocally support the INLA, who carried out a twenty-four year campaign of terror including the...
, a Romania specialist at Bradford University, wrote that Băsescu's public image suffered after his daughter, Elena Băsescu
Elena Băsescu
Elena Băsescu, sometimes referred to as EBA, is a Romanian politician, secretary general of the youth wing of Romania's Democratic Liberal Party, and a Member of the European Parliament. She is the youngest daughter of Traian Băsescu, the current President of Romania. She was formerly a model, and...
, became a MEP through "purely byzantine maneuvers" with the help of Ridzi, and after Băsescu "appeared to express solidarity" with Ridzi against the media that was reporting on the scandal.
Comments regarding King Michael I of Romania
In June 2011, during a televised talk-show, president Băsescu made a somewhat disputed remark about former King Michael I of Romania saying that "he was a slave to the Russians" and calling his 1947 abdication "an act of treason". The president noted that King Michael I of Romania was the official head of state at the time of the events in question - both during the alliance with Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, and during the Soviet occupation. This triggered a wave of criticism from the opposition parties and their sympathizers, who expressed their disapproval of such an interpretation of Romanian history and the perceived lack of respect towards the former king. Some letters requesting the president's immediate resignation came from the members of the opposition parties and their sympathizers.
President Băsescu added that if he was in Marshal Antonescu's position, he too would have ordered the Romanian troops to cross the Prut
Prut
The Prut is a long river in Eastern Europe. In part of its course it forms the border between Romania and Moldova.-Overview:...
river and attack
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
the USSR, with the purpose of regaining Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
, lost in 1940. In response to this, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a press statement asking for the immediate response of "civilized Europe to this justification of Nazi aggression against USSR and dishonor to the memory of millions lost during World War II" and called Băsescu's declarations a "shameless bravado".
Quotations
- In referring to the Romanian 2008 Parliamentary Elections, he once said "In autumn 2008, let's throw the 322 over the Parliament balustrade.". Another time he said the Parliament is a “physical wreck shortly before clinical death” These statements received much publicity from his critics.
- In one instance, Băsescu called the doctor who operated on him "the first competent ArmenianArmeniansArmenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
I have met", referencing the Romanian finance minister Varujan VosganianVarujan VosganianVarujan 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:...
, who is of Armenian descent and whom Băsescu considered incompetent. This remark was considered racist by Vosganian.
- In conversation with Gabriel LiiceanuGabriel LiiceanuGabriel Liiceanu is a Romanian philosopher.He graduated from University of Bucharest's Faculty of Philosophy in 1965, and from Faculty of Classical Languages in 1973. He earned a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Bucharest in 1976....
he was recorded declaring that (Romanian) "schools produce idiots".
- While he was mayor of Bucharest, Băsescu launched the Romanian memeMemeA meme is "an idea, behaviour or style that spreads from person to person within a culture."A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena...
"winter is unlike summer" referring to road conditions.
- Referring to the pay reductions of state employees by 25 per cent and pensions and unemployment benefits by 15 per cent president Băsescu said that "This plan was inevitable. The state sector is like a fat man of 200kg sitting on the back of a 50kg little man who is the real economy”.
- While on national television (TVR1) Basescu said (Romanian): "We are a second hand country if we always take loans to pay the pensions". This statement attracted criticism, Romania having taken a 19.95 billion euro loan from the IMF.
Other references
- Asociatia Civic Media, May 2007 "Piata Universitatii respinge noul puci al Moscovei" ("Supporting Basescu, Civic Net - University Square is opposing the new coup-de-etat of Moscow inspiration")
- Cronica Română, 22 June 2006 "Constantinescu îl acuză pe Băsescu de colaborare cu Securitatea" ("Constantinescu accuses Băsescu of collaborating with the SecuritateSecuritateThe 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...
") - Evenimentul, 14 December 200200Year 200 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Victorinus...
5. "Emil Constantinescu a adus documente despre care spune că atestă colaborarea preşedintelui Traian Băsescu cu Securitatea" ("Emil Constantinescu brought documents of which he says that prove the collaboration of President Traian Băsescu with the SecuritateSecuritateThe 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...
") - Oana Stancu, Strada Mihăileanu - Băsescu vede legal ce e ilegal ("Mihăileanu Street - Băsescu sees as legal what is illegal"), Jurnalul NaţionalJurnalul NationalJurnalul Naţional is a Romanian newspaper, part of the Intact media group led by Dan Voiculescu, which also includes the popular TV station Antena 1....
, 25 November 2005 - Andrei Tudor, Dosarul «Casa din Mihǎileanu»: Băsescu a bǎtut şaua Morar şi a priceput iapa Botoş ("'House on Mihǎileanu' file: Băsescu has beaten the Morar saddle so that the [Ilie] Botoş mare may understand" (reference to a traditional Romanian saying), GardianulGardianulGardianul was a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. It claimed to have had an anti-corruption stance, investigating organized crime and high-level corruption....
, 15 December 2005 - Ramona Lică, NUP pentru Băsescu în dosarul „Casa din Mihăileanu“ ("NUP (Neînceperea Urmǎririi Penale - Decision of non-indictment) for Băsescu in 'House on Mihǎileanu' file", GândulGândulGândul is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. It was founded in May 2005 by Mircea Dinescu, who used to write a daily editorial called "Vorba lu' Dinescu", and Cristian Tudor Popescu, who was also the editor-in-chief until January 2008. Its initial circulation was about 52,000...
, 11 January 2006 - Maria Manoliu, Băsescu nu mai dǎ inapoi casa de pe Mihǎileanu ("Băsescu no longer giving back the house on Mihǎileanu", AdevărulAdevarulAdevărul is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in 1871 and reestablished in 1888, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Romanian Kingdom's existence, adopting an independent pro-democratic position, advocating land reform and universal suffrage...
, 18 February 2005, accessed on HotNews.ro. 24 March 2006.
- Narcis Iordache Dosarul Flota reinviat pentru a fi ingropat ("The Fleet File resurrects in order to be buried again"), Evenimentul ZileiEvenimentul ZileiEvenimentul Zilei is one of the leading newspapers in Romania. Based in Bucharest, the Romanian-language daily has a paid daily circulation of 110,000...
, 6 december 2005.
External links
Basescu.ro: Official candidacy site- Official web site of the President of Romania
- Official Twitter account of the President of Romania
- Traian Băsescu's short biography on the Romanian Presidency web site Traian Băsescu's Curriculum Vitae
- BBC Profile: Traian Băsescu
- Analyzing EU Article
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