Ion Ratiu
Encyclopedia
Ion Raţiu was a Romania
n politician and the presidential candidate of the National Peasants' Party
(PNŢ) in the 1990 elections
, in which he ranked third with 4.29% of the vote.
. His grandmother, Eugenia Turcu, was the daughter of Romanian patriot and journalist Ion Codru-Dragusanu. He attended school in Turda
and Cluj
, and in 1938 he earned a law degree from Babeş-Bolyai University
in Cluj. In 1940, Raţiu was named Counsellor at the Romanian Legation in London
, under Minister Viorel V. Tilea. In September 1940, King Carol II
fled Romania and this led to the formation of the National Legionary State
. As a result, Raţiu resigned from the Foreign Service, and requested political asylum in the United Kingdom
. In 1943, Raţiu earned an economics degree from the University of Cambridge
. In 1945 Raţiu married Elisabeth Pilkington, the daughter of colonel Guy Pilkington; the couple had two children, Indrei and Nicolae.
After the communists came to power in Romania in 1947, Raţiu remained in exile in London. Even from the beginning of WWII, he joined the fight against totalitarianism of any political colour, helping to organise the Central European Student and Youth Society.
In the late 1950s, he started publishing the Free Romanian Press, a weekly news bulletin. He also contributed regularly to the BBC Romanian service, Radio Free Europe, and Voice of America. In 1957, Raţiu published his successful critique of Western attitudes towards the Soviet Union and communism, ‘Policy for the West’.
In 1975, the year he published Contemporary Romania, he decided to devote all his energy to the pursuit of a free Romania. He played a key role in the setting up of the World Union of Free Romanians , of which he was elected president at its first congress in Geneva (1984). Shortly after this, he started publishing The Free Romanian / Românul liber, a monthly newspaper in English and Romanian.
After he returned to Romania in January 1990, he helped to re-create the National Peasants' Party
, serving as its vice-president. He unsuccessfully ran for president in the 1990 election
; however, he was elected as deputy of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Cluj County in 1990 and 1992, and then Arad, in 1996. He also served as vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies, and ambassador and negotiator for Romania’s integration in NATO’s structures. In 1991, he re-founded the newspaper Cotidianul
.
After a short illness, Raţiu died in London on 17 January 2000, surrounded by his family. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in his home town of Turda.
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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 politician and the presidential candidate of the National Peasants' Party
National Peasants' Party
The National Peasants' Party was a Romanian political party, formed in 1926 through the fusion of the Romanian National Party from Transylvania and the Peasants' Party . It was in power between 1928 and 1933, with brief interruptions...
(PNŢ) in the 1990 elections
Romanian presidential election, 1990
These are the results of the Romanian presidential election of May 20, 1990:-Results:...
, in which he ranked third with 4.29% of the vote.
Biography
Ion Raţiu was the son of Dr. Augustin Raţiu, and a great-grandson of Dr. Ioan Raţiu, the leader of the Transylvanian MemorandumTransylvanian Memorandum
The Transylvanian Memorandum was a petition sent in 1892 by the leaders of the Romanians of Transylvania to the Austro-Hungarian Emperor-King Franz Joseph, asking for equal ethnic rights with the Hungarians, and demanding an end to persecutions and Magyarization attempts.-Status:After the Ausgleich...
. His grandmother, Eugenia Turcu, was the daughter of Romanian patriot and journalist Ion Codru-Dragusanu. He attended school in Turda
Turda
Turda is a city and Municipality in Cluj County, Romania, situated on the Arieş River.- Ancient times :The city was founded by Dacians under the name Patavissa or Potaissa...
and Cluj
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...
, and in 1938 he earned a law degree from Babeş-Bolyai University
Babes-Bolyai University
The Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca is an university in Romania. With almost 50,000 students, the university offers 105 specialisations, of which there are 105 in Romanian, 67 in Hungarian, 17 in German, and 5 in English...
in Cluj. In 1940, Raţiu was named Counsellor at the Romanian Legation in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, under Minister Viorel V. Tilea. In September 1940, King Carol II
Carol II of Romania
Carol II reigned as King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until 6 September 1940. Eldest son of Ferdinand, King of Romania, and his wife, Queen Marie, a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria...
fled Romania and this led to the formation of the National Legionary State
National Legionary State
The National Legionary State was the Romanian government from September 6, 1940 to January 23, 1941. It was a single-party regime dictatorship dominated by the overtly fascist Iron Guard in uneasy conjunction with the head of government and Conducător Ion Antonescu, the leader of the Romanian...
. As a result, Raţiu resigned from the Foreign Service, and requested political asylum in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In 1943, Raţiu earned an economics degree from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. In 1945 Raţiu married Elisabeth Pilkington, the daughter of colonel Guy Pilkington; the couple had two children, Indrei and Nicolae.
After the communists came to power in Romania in 1947, Raţiu remained in exile in London. Even from the beginning of WWII, he joined the fight against totalitarianism of any political colour, helping to organise the Central European Student and Youth Society.
In the late 1950s, he started publishing the Free Romanian Press, a weekly news bulletin. He also contributed regularly to the BBC Romanian service, Radio Free Europe, and Voice of America. In 1957, Raţiu published his successful critique of Western attitudes towards the Soviet Union and communism, ‘Policy for the West’.
In 1975, the year he published Contemporary Romania, he decided to devote all his energy to the pursuit of a free Romania. He played a key role in the setting up of the World Union of Free Romanians , of which he was elected president at its first congress in Geneva (1984). Shortly after this, he started publishing The Free Romanian / Românul liber, a monthly newspaper in English and Romanian.
After he returned to Romania in January 1990, he helped to re-create the National Peasants' Party
National Peasants' Party
The National Peasants' Party was a Romanian political party, formed in 1926 through the fusion of the Romanian National Party from Transylvania and the Peasants' Party . It was in power between 1928 and 1933, with brief interruptions...
, serving as its vice-president. He unsuccessfully ran for president in the 1990 election
Romanian presidential election, 1990
These are the results of the Romanian presidential election of May 20, 1990:-Results:...
; however, he was elected as deputy of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Cluj County in 1990 and 1992, and then Arad, in 1996. He also served as vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies, and ambassador and negotiator for Romania’s integration in NATO’s structures. In 1991, he re-founded the newspaper Cotidianul
Cotidianul
thumb|right|Old logo of Cotidianul newspaper, used in the [[inter-war period]], and in the early 1990sthumb|right|The logo used between 2003 and 2007...
.
After a short illness, Raţiu died in London on 17 January 2000, surrounded by his family. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in his home town of Turda.
External links
Short biography, on the "Raţiu Center for Democracy" website Raţiu Family Foundation Website "70 Years in Eastern Europe", BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
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