Mircea Geoană

Mircea Geoană
President of the Senate of Romania
Incumbent
Assumed office December 19, 2008
Preceded by	Ilie Sârbu
Constituency	17 (Dăbuleni)
Romanian Ambassador to the United States
In office 1996 – December 28, 2000
Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office December 28, 2000 – December 28, 2004
Preceded by	Petre Roman
Succeeded by	Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu
Personal details
Born	July 14, 1958 (1958-07-14) (age 53) Bucharest, Romania
Nationality	Romanian
Political party	Social Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Mihaela Geoană
Alma mater	Politehnica University of Bucharest University of Bucharest École nationale d'administration Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies(PhD)[1]
Religion	Romanian Orthodoxy[2]
Website	http://www.mirceageoana.ro/

Dan Mircea Geoană (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈmirt͡ʃe̯a ˈd͡ʒe̯o̯anə]; born July 14, 1958 in Bucharest) is a Romanian politician, and the current president of the upper chamber of the Romanian Parliament, the Senate. From 21 April 2005 until 21 February 2010 he was the head of the Partidul Social Democrat (PSD, Social Democratic Party), one of Romania's largest parties.^[3] He was the candidate of the party for the position of President of Romania in the 2009 presidential election.

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.^[4] 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.^[5] 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."^[6]

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,^[7] 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.^[8][9] 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,^[10] as a major judgement error on Geoana's behalf.^[11][12][13] 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.^[14]

Immediately after the end of the 2009 presidential elections, an 18-second-long footage was broadcast depicting Geoană allegedly receiving money from a person whose face cannot be seen. In the recording Geoană is silent, but the apparent voice of the female donor is heard saying: “I have EUR 5,000 here, my campaign contribution. I mean, this will help you now, but this is my contribution for an eligible position.” Geoana immediately described the tape as a "campaign fake", and other PSD leaders reacted similarly.^[15]

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

References

1. ^ (Romanian)"Biography". personal site. http://www.mirceageoana.ro/mircea-geoana/biografie. Retrieved 2009-12-06. 
2. ^ (Romanian)"Reperele morale ale candidaţilor". www.mediafax.ro. 20 November 2009. http://www.mediafax.ro/politic/reperele-morale-ale-candidatilor-basescu-sotia-geoana-patriarhul-daniel-antonescu-tudor-chirila-5121404. Retrieved 2009-12-06. 
3. ^ (Romanian)"Geoană, fostul şef al PSD, s-a relaxat la miezul nopţii cu o îngheţată". www.gandul.info. 21 February 2009. http://www.gandul.info/politica/geoana-fostul-sef-al-psd-s-a-relaxat-la-miezul-noptii-cu-o-inghetata-5584851. Retrieved 2010-11-04. 
4. ^ (Romanian)"Congres PSD". www.hotnews.ro. 22 April 2005. http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-arhiva-1606213-ion-iliescu-dau-cuvintul-tovarasului-nastase.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-06. 
5. ^ (Romanian) Adevarul, 1 Martie 2005, Mircea Geoana s-a purtat ca un prostanac intre cele doua tururi de scrutin
6. ^ (Romanian) "Panouri distruse de prostanac", la Ploiesti
7. ^ (Romanian) Băsescu l-a întrebat pe Geoană despre întâlnirea de miercuri seară cu Vântu
8. ^ (Romanian) Omul lui Vântu de la FNI, Popa Nicolae, prins la Jakarta
9. ^ (Romanian) FNI – ultimul act
10. ^ (Romanian) Cu pumnul pe Biblie/Dreptul ultimei nopţi
11. ^ (Romanian) Geoană: Ce eroare de judecată şi de staff!
12. ^ (Romanian) Tolontan: Catusele lui Nicolae Popa ar putea schimba campania electorala din Romania
13. ^ (Romanian) Vizita lui Geoana la Vintu - o sinucidere politica
14. ^ (Romanian) Vântu: "M-am întâlnit cu Băsescu în 2004, într-o parcare în Tâncăbeşti”
15. ^ Dana Florin (2009-12-15). "Geoana under fire again". Nine O'Clock. http://www.nineoclock.ro/index.php?page=detalii&categorie=politics&id=20091214-511508. 

External links

• (Romanian) Official website

Persondata
Name	Geoana, Mircea
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 14, 1958
Place of birth	Bucharest, Romania
Date of death
Place of death