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Mircea Geoană

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Sen.
Mircea Geoană
President of the Senate of Romania
Assumed office
December 19, 2008
Preceded byIlie Sârbu
Constituency17 (Dăbuleni)
Ambassador of Romania to the United States of America
In office
1996 – December 28, 2000
Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
December 28, 2000 – December 28, 2004
Preceded byPetre Roman
Succeeded byMihai Răzvan Ungureanu
Personal details
Born (1958-07-14) July 14, 1958 (age 65)
Bucharest, Romania
Political partySocial Democratic Party
SpouseMihaela Geoană
Websitehttp://www.mirceageoana.ro/

Dan Mircea Geoană (born July 14, 1958 in Bucharest) is a Romanian politician, and the current president of the upper chamber of the Romanian Parliament, the Senate. Since 21 April 2005 he has been the head of the Partidul Social Democrat (PSD, Social Democratic Party), one of Romania's largest parties. He is the candidate of the party for the position of President of Romania in the upcoming elections.

History

From December 28, 2000 to December 28, 2004, Geoană was the Foreign Minister of Romania, as part of the PSD government of Adrian Năstase. After the Romanian legislative elections of 2004, he was replaced by Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu from the Justice and Truth Alliance.

In 2001, Geoană was the chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. In 2004, during the local government elections in Romania, he ran for Mayor of Bucharest, but lost to Traian Băsescu of the Democratic Party.

A career diplomat, from 1996 to 2000 Geoană served as Romania's ambassador to the United States. At the time, he was the youngest ambassador in Romania's diplomatic corps.

Considered a young reformer, Geoană was elected president of the party on April 25, 2005 by delegates at a PSD Party Congress held in Bucharest. His victory represented a surprise defeat for the former President and founder of the PSD Ion Iliescu, who was expected to defeat Geoană handily. Geoană's win was attributed by the media to last minute backroom dealing by party leaders opposed to Iliescu as well as to public gaffes made by Iliescu at the Party Congress, including using the term comrades when referring to his party colleagues.[2] Iliescu also used harsh language to criticize Geoană, saying that Geoană acted "like a foolish person" during a meeting of the PSD sentators in 2005. Iliescu was referring to Geoană's stance before the 2004 presidential run-off, when Geoană declared that the Hungarian minority party, UDMR, will join a PSD-led government. According to Iliescu's analysis, this declaration alienated the Romanian ultra-nationalist electorate who voted for Traian Băsescu, thus costing Adrian Năstase the 2004 presidential election.[3] Due to this remark of Iliescu, the characterization "foolish" was used by Geoană's political opponents repeatedly in his later career, as a form of negative campaign. For instance, during the 2009 presidential run-off with Traian Băsescu, the latter used banners with his own image splattered with black paint reading "Banner ruined by the foolish person. Don't let the foolish person ruin your life."[4]

At the PSD Congress on December 10, 2006, Geoană was re-elected as party President, with his platform, "Social Romania", defeating Sorin Oprescu's.

In the final televised debated before the runoff round of the 2009 presidential elections Geoană was accused by the incumbent Băsescu that he met the controversial businessman and media owner Sorin Ovidiu Vântu the night before at Vântu's home. The meeting, which Geoană acknowledged,[5] happened right after a former collaborator and close friend of Vântu, Nicolae Popa, who had been convicted in absentia for fraud and embezzlement to 15 years in jail in the Fondul Naţional de Investiţii (FNI) ponzi scheme scandal, was apprehended in Jakarta, Indonesia after evading justice for seven years.[6][7] Since Băsescu had made a main theme of his campaign his fight against the "media moguls" including Vântu, and repeatedly claimed that Geoană is a front man for the moguls, this meeting between Geoană and Vântu was criticized by several journalists, including Cristian Tudor Popescu,[8] as a major judgement error on Geoana's behalf.[9][10][11] Vântu also acknowledged the meeting, but mentioned similar meetings with Băsescu during the latter's 2004 bid for presidency, including one in an empty parking lot.[12]

He is married to Mihaela Geoană and has a teenage daughter and son - Ana and Alexandru.

References

  1. ^ Template:Ro icon"Reperele morale ale candidaţilor". www.mediafax.ro. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  2. ^ Template:Ro icon"Congres PSD". www.hotnews.ro. 22 April 2005. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  3. ^ Template:Ro icon Adevarul, 1 Martie 2005, Mircea Geoana s-a purtat ca un prostanac intre cele doua tururi de scrutin
  4. ^ Template:Ro icon "Panouri distruse de prostanac", la Ploiesti
  5. ^ Template:Ro icon Băsescu l-a întrebat pe Geoană despre întâlnirea de miercuri seară cu Vântu
  6. ^ Template:Ro icon Omul lui Vântu de la FNI, Popa Nicolae, prins la Jakarta
  7. ^ Template:Ro icon FNI – ultimul act
  8. ^ Template:Ro icon Cu pumnul pe Biblie/Dreptul ultimei nopţi
  9. ^ Template:Ro icon Geoană: Ce eroare de judecată şi de staff!
  10. ^ Template:Ro icon Tolontan: Catusele lui Nicolae Popa ar putea schimba campania electorala din Romania
  11. ^ Template:Ro icon Vizita lui Geoana la Vintu - o sinucidere politica
  12. ^ Template:Ro icon Vântu: "M-am întâlnit cu Băsescu în 2004, într-o parcare în Tâncăbeşti”

External Links

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