Cristian Boureanu
Encyclopedia
Cristian Alexandru Boureanu (born December 15, 1972) is a Romania
n businessman and politician. A member of the Democratic Liberal Party
(PD-L), he has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
for Argeş County
since 2004.
He and his first wife Irina had a daughter before divorcing in 2003. In 2007, he married Valentina Pelinel, a former model
.
, Zambia
, where his parents were temporarily working as geological engineers
, and in 1991 completed secondary studies at the Mathematics-Physics High School in Bucharest
. From 1991 to 1996, he attended the International Economic Relations Faculty of the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. He holds a 2003 degree from the Carol I National Defence University
, and in 2004 received a master's degree in governance and institutional development from the National School of Administration and Political Science of Bucharest
. From April 1999 to December 2000, he worked as an adviser at the Finance Ministry
. From 2000 to 2001, he was an adviser to the president of the Chamber of Deputies' economic committee. He is a private investor in companies active in various sectors, such as commerce, construction and economic consultancy. In early 2008, his property holdings were worth an estimated €
13.5 million, in addition to valuables and bank accounts.
Boureanu entered politics in 1995, when he joined the National Liberal Party
(PNL). From May 1998 to April 2000, he was secretary general of the National Liberal Youth, serving as the organisation's president from that time until October 2002. From January 2001 to August 2002, he served on the PNL's permanent central bureau; he then advanced to the executive central bureau, where he remained until February 2005. That month, he returned to the permanent central bureau, serving until December. At that point, he was suspended from the PNL: the party leadership, including Prime Minister
Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
, viewed as unacceptable Boureanu's accusations that certain of his colleagues had conducted negotiations with the opposition Social Democratic Party
. He remained suspended until September 2006, when he and fellow dissident member Raluca Turcan
were ejected entirely, having been warned in July to cease making public statements against party decisions and having continued to do so. He then joined the Liberal Democratic Party
, serving as its vice president for political and international relations from March 2007 to February 2008, when the party merged with the Democratic Party to form the Democratic Liberal Party
. Within the PD-L, he serves as a vice president and as president of its Argeş County chapter. Meanwhile, he was first elected to the Chamber in 2004
, serving on the industry and services committee, including as its vice president until September 2006. Re-elected in 2008
, where he serves as vice president on the same committee, and is part of the Romanian Parliament's delegation to the Assembly of the Western European Union.
Aside from his public feud with the PNL leadership, which involved acid criticism of Tăriceanu (whom he once called a "corrupt prime minister" and a "toxic product for the Romanian people"), Boureanu has been involved in other controversies as well. In May 2008, he was the subject of a criminal investigation for "abuse of office against the public interest" by the National Anticorruption Directorate
for his role in signing a contract in 2000 between Loteria Română and a Greek
firm that caused the former to incur losses of over €
120 million. In summer 2009, he drew attention for his attempts to end the work of the parliamentary committee investigating abuses by Youth and Sport Minister
and PD-L colleague Monica Iacob Ridzi. His verbal interventions were also noted, with one Social Democrat claiming he had insulted seven or eight of the committee's members; at one point, he addressed chairwoman Alina Gorghiu
as "missie" and made mention of her "lovers".
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n businessman and politician. A member of the 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...
(PD-L), he has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Romania
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house in Romania's bicameral parliament. It has 315 seats, to which deputies are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms...
for Argeş County
Arges County
Argeș is a county of Romania, in Wallachia, with the capital city at Pitești.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 652,625 and the population density was 95/km².*Romanians – 96%*Roma , and other.-Geography:...
since 2004.
He and his first wife Irina had a daughter before divorcing in 2003. In 2007, he married Valentina Pelinel, a former model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
.
Biography
He was born in LusakaLusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, where his parents were temporarily working as geological engineers
Geotechnical engineering
Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. Geotechnical engineering is important in civil engineering, but is also used by military, mining, petroleum, or any other engineering concerned with construction on or in the ground...
, and in 1991 completed secondary studies at the Mathematics-Physics High School in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. From 1991 to 1996, he attended the International Economic Relations Faculty of the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. He holds a 2003 degree from the Carol I National Defence University
Carol I National Defence University
The Carol I National Defence University , located in Bucharest, Romania, was established in 1889. It seeks to train military and civilian experts in security and national defence, and undertakes scientific studies related to these matters when requested by relevant state authorities.-External links:*...
, and in 2004 received a master's degree in governance and institutional development from the National School of Administration and Political Science of Bucharest
National School of Administration and Political Science of Bucharest
The National School of Administration and Political Science of Bucharest is a public University in Bucharest, Romania, founded in 1991.SNSPA is a public institution of higher education and research which was established in 1991 as a postgraduate teaching institution, incorporating in its...
. From April 1999 to December 2000, he worked as an adviser at the Finance Ministry
Ministry of Public Finance (Romania)
The Ministry of Public Finance of Romania is one of the fifteen ministries of the Government of Romania.The minister's seat is currently held by the Democratic Liberal Party's Gheorghe Ialomiţeanu.The following agencies are subordinated to the Minister:...
. From 2000 to 2001, he was an adviser to the president of the Chamber of Deputies' economic committee. He is a private investor in companies active in various sectors, such as commerce, construction and economic consultancy. In early 2008, his property holdings were worth an estimated €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
13.5 million, in addition to valuables and bank accounts.
Boureanu entered politics in 1995, when he joined 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). From May 1998 to April 2000, he was secretary general of the National Liberal Youth, serving as the organisation's president from that time until October 2002. From January 2001 to August 2002, he served on the PNL's permanent central bureau; he then advanced to the executive central bureau, where he remained until February 2005. That month, he returned to the permanent central bureau, serving until December. At that point, he was suspended from the PNL: the party leadership, including Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Romania
The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was styled President of the Council of Ministers , when the term "Government" included more than the Cabinet, and the Cabinet was called The Council of Ministers...
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...
, viewed as unacceptable Boureanu's accusations that certain of his colleagues had conducted negotiations with the opposition 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...
. He remained suspended until September 2006, when he and fellow dissident member Raluca Turcan
Raluca Turcan
Raluca Turcan is a Romanian politician. A member of the Democratic Liberal Party , she has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Sibiu County since 2004....
were ejected entirely, having been warned in July to cease making public statements against party decisions and having continued to do so. He then joined 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...
, serving as its vice president for political and international relations from March 2007 to February 2008, when the party merged with the Democratic Party to form the 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...
. Within the PD-L, he serves as a vice president and as president of its Argeş County chapter. Meanwhile, he was first elected to the Chamber in 2004
Romanian legislative election, 2004
The Romanian legislative election of 2004 was held on 28 November 2004. 137 seats in the Senate of Romania and 314 seats in the Chamber of Deputies were up for election.The 2004 legislative election was held simultaneously with the presidential election...
, serving on the industry and services committee, including as its vice president until September 2006. Re-elected in 2008
Romanian legislative election, 2008
Legislative elections were held in Romania on November 30, 2008. The Democratic Liberal Party won most seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, although the alliance headed by the Social Democratic Party won a fractionally higher vote share.-Electoral System:President Traian Băsescu...
, where he serves as vice president on the same committee, and is part of the Romanian Parliament's delegation to the Assembly of the Western European Union.
Aside from his public feud with the PNL leadership, which involved acid criticism of Tăriceanu (whom he once called a "corrupt prime minister" and a "toxic product for the Romanian people"), Boureanu has been involved in other controversies as well. In May 2008, he was the subject of a criminal investigation for "abuse of office against the public interest" by the National Anticorruption Directorate
National Anticorruption Directorate
National Anticorruption Directorate , formerly National Anticorruption Prosecution Office , is the Romanian agency tasked with preventing, investigating and prosecuting corruption-related offenses that caused a material damage higher than €200,000 or whose value of the involved amounts or goods is...
for his role in signing a contract in 2000 between Loteria Română and a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
firm that caused the former to incur losses of over €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
120 million. In summer 2009, he drew attention for his attempts to end the work of the parliamentary committee investigating abuses by Youth and Sport Minister
Ministry of Youth and Sport (Romania)
The Ministry of Youth and Sport of Romania was one of the ministries of the Government of Romania. As of 23 December 2009 it was merged into the Ministry of Education, Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport...
and PD-L colleague Monica Iacob Ridzi. His verbal interventions were also noted, with one Social Democrat claiming he had insulted seven or eight of the committee's members; at one point, he addressed chairwoman Alina Gorghiu
Alina Gorghiu
Alina-Ştefania Gorghiu is a Romanian lawyer and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party , she has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Bucharest since 2008.-Biography:...
as "missie" and made mention of her "lovers".