Gheorghe Pogea
Encyclopedia
Gheorghe Pogea is a Romania
n engineer and politician. A member of the Democratic Liberal Party
(PD-L), in the Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
cabinet he was Minister of State Co-ordinating the Economic Domain from August 2005 to June 2006, and in the Emil Boc
cabinet, he was Minister of Finance from 2008 to 2009, also serving as interim Minister of Labour in 2009.
He is married and has two children.
(PCR) sent him to the Timişoara
party school; after finishing second in his class that October, he was named secretary for economic affairs in Hunedoara
. During that December's revolution
, the insurgents who entered his office were surprised to find only stacks of paper inside, instead of luxury goods, and a number of individuals anonymously stated that he was the only PCR activist to help them out during those days. However, factory employees recalled he was on the premises at the time, urging employees to "stop this nonsense about a Revolution". Following the revolution, he continued working at the foundry, remaining until 1991 as a section chief, which he had been since 1981; then from 1992 to 1993 as adviser to the director; and afterwards as chief of technical services. From 1997 to 2001, when he was replaced, Pogea directed the foundry, where he acquired a reputation for insisting on total control, and where he conducted a restructuring that saw several thousand people leave the firm. He has also directed two Simeria
marble
producers: Marmosim from 2001 to 2004 and Titan Mar from 2006 to 2008; both of these are largely owned by Adriean Videanu
.
In October 2000, Pogea entered the Democratic Party (PD; later evolved into the PD-L), the first party he entered after 1989. He ran for a Senate
seat in the election
the following month, but barely lost. In 2000, he was elected head of the Hunedoara chapter of the PD; soon after, he won the chairmanship of the Hunedoara County
chapter, heading it from 2000 to 2006. He was also county councillor there for several months. In 2004, he co-authored the electoral manifesto of the Justice and Truth Alliance, which won the November elections
. He was also strategy coordinator for the new PD-L, and co-authored its programme for the 2008 election
. Between 2005 and 2006, he served in the Tăriceanu cabinet, until being compelled to resign by party leader Boc and President
Traian Băsescu
, partly as a means of putting pressure on Tăriceanu's PNL
. He was then offered the position of Bucharest
city manager, but declined, returning instead to the marble business. He became Finance Minister when the Boc executive came into office following the 2008 election. The beginning of his term coincided with the onset of a financial crisis in Romania, leading him to vow a rewrite of the state budget with up to 15% cuts in salaries for government employees, and to warn that Romania's GDP
could fall by 6.5% in 2009. He also promised a complete rewrite of the fiscal code, aiming to make it simpler and more transparent, and reduce the number of taxes on businesses and individuals. In October 2009, he became interim Labour Minister following the resignation of his PSD cabinet colleagues, including Marian Sârbu
, the previous occupant of that ministry, holding the portfolio until December. His ministerial term ended when he was not reappointed to a new cabinet under Boc at the end of 2009.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n engineer and politician. A member of the 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), in the Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu
Călin Constantin Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu is a Romanian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Romania between 29 December 2004 and 22 December 2008...
cabinet he was Minister of State Co-ordinating the Economic Domain from August 2005 to June 2006, and in the Emil Boc
Emil Boc
Emil Boc is the Prime Minister of Romania, having served since December 2008. In June 2004, he was elected Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, the largest city in Transylvania. Boc is also the president of the Democratic Liberal Party, who designated him as Prime Minister in 2008. On October 13, 2009, his...
cabinet, he was Minister of Finance from 2008 to 2009, also serving as interim Minister of Labour in 2009.
He is married and has two children.
Biography
In 1981, Pogea graduated from the Materials Science and Engineering Faculty of the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest. He also holds a doctorate in the same field. After graduation, he was sent to work at Siderurgica Hunedoara, a steel foundry. In 1989, the ruling Romanian 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) sent him to the Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
party school; after finishing second in his class that October, he was named secretary for economic affairs in Hunedoara
Hunedoara
Hunedoara is a city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in southeastern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, and administers five villages: Boş, Groş, Hăşdat, Peştişu Mare and Răcăştia....
. During that December's 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...
, the insurgents who entered his office were surprised to find only stacks of paper inside, instead of luxury goods, and a number of individuals anonymously stated that he was the only PCR activist to help them out during those days. However, factory employees recalled he was on the premises at the time, urging employees to "stop this nonsense about a Revolution". Following the revolution, he continued working at the foundry, remaining until 1991 as a section chief, which he had been since 1981; then from 1992 to 1993 as adviser to the director; and afterwards as chief of technical services. From 1997 to 2001, when he was replaced, Pogea directed the foundry, where he acquired a reputation for insisting on total control, and where he conducted a restructuring that saw several thousand people leave the firm. He has also directed two Simeria
Simeria
Simeria is a town in Hunedoara County with a population of just under 14,000, and an important railway junction with hump yard. Six villages are administered by the town: Bârcea Mare, Cărpiniş, Simeria Veche, Sântandrei, Şăuleşti and Uroi....
marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
producers: Marmosim from 2001 to 2004 and Titan Mar from 2006 to 2008; both of these are largely owned by Adriean Videanu
Adriean Videanu
Adriean Videanu is a businessman and former mayor of Bucharest, Romania. He is also a vice president of the Democratic Liberal Party of Romania, which is led by Emil Boc and the Minister of Economy in the Boc Cabinet, from 22 December 2008.A businessman in the marble and granite industry, Videanu...
.
In October 2000, Pogea entered the Democratic Party (PD; later evolved into the PD-L), the first party he entered after 1989. He ran for a Senate
Senate of Romania
The Senate of Romania is the upper house in the bicameral Parliament of Romania. It has 137 seats , to which members are elected by direct popular vote, using Mixed member proportional representation in 42 electoral districts , to serve four-year terms.-Former location:After the Romanian...
seat in the election
Romanian legislative election, 2000
Legislative elections where be held in Romania on November 26, 2000, together with the Presidential election. The Greater Romania Party made big gains, as did the PDSR, which became the ruling party. The formerly governing Romanian Democratic Convention lost all its seats and was shortly...
the following month, but barely lost. In 2000, he was elected head of the Hunedoara chapter of the PD; soon after, he won the chairmanship of the Hunedoara County
Hunedoara County
Hunedoara is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Deva.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 485,712 and the population density was 69/km².*Romanians - 92%*Hungarians - 5%*Romas - 2%*Germans under 1%....
chapter, heading it from 2000 to 2006. He was also county councillor there for several months. In 2004, he co-authored the electoral manifesto of the Justice and Truth Alliance, which won the November elections
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...
. He was also strategy coordinator for the new PD-L, and co-authored its programme for the 2008 election
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...
. Between 2005 and 2006, he served in the Tăriceanu cabinet, until being compelled to resign by party leader Boc and President
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Traian Băsescu
Traian Basescu
Traian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
, partly as a means of putting pressure on Tăriceanu's 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...
. He was then offered the position of 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....
city manager, but declined, returning instead to the marble business. He became Finance Minister when the Boc executive came into office following the 2008 election. The beginning of his term coincided with the onset of a financial crisis in Romania, leading him to vow a rewrite of the state budget with up to 15% cuts in salaries for government employees, and to warn that Romania's GDP
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
could fall by 6.5% in 2009. He also promised a complete rewrite of the fiscal code, aiming to make it simpler and more transparent, and reduce the number of taxes on businesses and individuals. In October 2009, he became interim Labour Minister following the resignation of his PSD cabinet colleagues, including Marian Sârbu
Marian Sârbu
Marian Sârbu is a Romanian trade unionist and politician. A member of the National Union for the Progress of Romania and formerly of the Social Democratic Party , he has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Călăraşi County and Vaslui County...
, the previous occupant of that ministry, holding the portfolio until December. His ministerial term ended when he was not reappointed to a new cabinet under Boc at the end of 2009.