Ludovic Orban
Encyclopedia
Ludovic Orban is a Romania
n engineer and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party
(PNL), he was Minister of Transport from April 2007 to December 2008 in the second Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
cabinet. He has also been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Bucharest
since 2008.
He and his wife Mihaela have one son. His brother is the former European Commissioner for Multilingualism, Leonard Orban
.
to an ethnic Hungarian father and an ethnic Romanian
mother. Orban completed secondary studies at the city's Andrei Şaguna High School in 1982. He then studied automobile design technology at the University of Braşov
, graduating in 1988. In 1993, he completed post-graduate studies in Political Science at the National School of Administration and Political Science of Bucharest
. From 1988 to 1990 he trained as an engineer at a factory in Târgu Secuiesc
, and worked as one at a Braşov factory from 1990 to 1991. From 1991 to 1992, he wrote for the daily Viitorul Românesc, and from 1992 to 1997 he was an advisor for the Liberal Party 1993 and its predecessor. Between 1997 and 2001 he held a series of government and agency positions: at the Energy Policy Agency, the Disabled Persons Directorate, the Public Information Department, the National Public Employee Agency and the National Centre for Communications and Public Relations Specialisation. He has also been active in a foundation called Children, the light of the world and done consulting work.
Orban served as a Sector 3
local councillor from 1992 to 1996. He was elected a Sector 1
local councillor that year, but resigned. From 1993 to 1997 he belonged to the executive committee of the Liberal Party 1993, and in 1998 joined the PNL's national council, after the former party merged into it. From 2001 to 2002 he sat on the PNL's permanent central bureau, and in 2002 joined the party's public administration committee. He has headed the Bucharest chapter of the PNL since November 2002, and from July 2004 to April 2007 was Vice Mayor of Bucharest. He left this office following a cabinet reshuffle, becoming Transport Minister and serving until his party's loss at the 2008 election
, where he himself won a seat in a Bucharest constituency. While minister, he also ran for Mayor of Bucharest as part of the 2008 local elections
, losing in the first round by finishing in fourth place with 11.4% of the vote. In March 2009, concurrent with his ally Crin Antonescu
's ascent to the PNL presidency and the sidelining of the Tăriceanu faction, Orban became the party's vice president.
Orban is a somewhat controversial figure, known for his provocative declarations. A fierce critic of President
Traian Băsescu
, he called him an "imbecile" for referring to the "imbecile" attitude of a minister during summer 2008 floods, and once shouted, "The President is the last Sauron
to rule in this realm of darkness!" He also criticises the Emil Boc
government, composed of the Băsescu-associated PD-L
and the Social Democrats
, referring to the latter party's leader Mircea Geoană
as Băsescu's "steward"; and attacking cabinet policies on education, tourism promotion (which he sees as an unnecessary luxury), and the financial crisis (where he foresees the government being unable to pay pensions and salaries). Speaking to a group of female PNL members in Alba County
in March 2006, he drew accusations of sexism for stating, "You need not go through any boss's bed to reach important public positions", declaring that Raluca Turcan
(then a party colleague), Mioara Mantale
and Elena Udrea
had done so, but not Mona Muscă
or Norica Nicolai
. Driving in Cotroceni
in December 2007, his car hit a 16-year-old girl, forcing her hospitalisation; despite a call by the prime minister for his resignation, Orban refused to do so and prosecutors ultimately decided not to pursue criminal charges, although his license was suspended and he was fined. His lighter moments have also received attention, for instance regaling a PNL Christmas party with his guitar-playing or playing football
with his son in the Palace of the Parliament
after his election to the body that sits there.
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 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), he was Minister of Transport from April 2007 to December 2008 in the second 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 has also been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for 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....
since 2008.
He and his wife Mihaela have one son. His brother is the former European Commissioner for Multilingualism, Leonard Orban
Leonard Orban
Leonard Orban is a Romanian independent technocrat who served as the Commissioner for Multilingualism in the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union . He was responsible for the EU language policy and was the first Romanian Commissioner and the first member of the Commission...
.
Biography
He was born in BraşovBrasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
to an ethnic Hungarian father and an ethnic Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
mother. Orban completed secondary studies at the city's Andrei Şaguna High School in 1982. He then studied automobile design technology at the University of Braşov
Transylvania University of Brasov
Transylvania University is a state institution of higher education in Braşov, Romania which, by "offering education, scientific research and the number of students is one of the great universities of Romania, the representative of the region and university 7 Center" .It has sixteen faculties, a...
, graduating in 1988. In 1993, he completed post-graduate studies in Political Science at 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 1988 to 1990 he trained as an engineer at a factory in Târgu Secuiesc
Târgu Secuiesc
Târgu Secuiesc is a city in Covasna County, Transylvania, Romania. It administers one village, Lunga .- History :The town was first mentioned in 1407 as Torjawasara, meaning in Hungarian “Torja Market”...
, and worked as one at a Braşov factory from 1990 to 1991. From 1991 to 1992, he wrote for the daily Viitorul Românesc, and from 1992 to 1997 he was an advisor for the Liberal Party 1993 and its predecessor. Between 1997 and 2001 he held a series of government and agency positions: at the Energy Policy Agency, the Disabled Persons Directorate, the Public Information Department, the National Public Employee Agency and the National Centre for Communications and Public Relations Specialisation. He has also been active in a foundation called Children, the light of the world and done consulting work.
Orban served as a Sector 3
Sector 3 (Bucharest)
Sector 3 is a sector in Bucharest.-Quarters:*Balta Albă*Centrul Civic*Dristor*Dudeşti*Lipscani*Muncii*Titan*Unirii*Vitan*Timpuri Noi*Decebal-Politics:...
local councillor from 1992 to 1996. He was elected a Sector 1
Sector 1 (Bucharest)
Sector 1 is a sector in Bucharest. It includes the northern part of the city centre as well as the northwestern districts of Băneasa and Pipera. It is the wealthiest sector in Bucharest.-Quarters:*Aviatorilor*Aviaţiei*Băneasa*Bucureştii Noi*Dămăroaia...
local councillor that year, but resigned. From 1993 to 1997 he belonged to the executive committee of the Liberal Party 1993, and in 1998 joined the PNL's national council, after the former party merged into it. From 2001 to 2002 he sat on the PNL's permanent central bureau, and in 2002 joined the party's public administration committee. He has headed the Bucharest chapter of the PNL since November 2002, and from July 2004 to April 2007 was Vice Mayor of Bucharest. He left this office following a cabinet reshuffle, becoming Transport Minister and serving until his party's loss at 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...
, where he himself won a seat in a Bucharest constituency. While minister, he also ran for Mayor of Bucharest as part of the 2008 local elections
Romanian local election, 2008
Local elections were held in Romania on June 1, 2008, with a runoff for mayors on June 15, 2008.On June 1 where elected:* all the villages, communes, cities, and municipal cluncils , and the Sectors Local Councils of Bucharest...
, losing in the first round by finishing in fourth place with 11.4% of the vote. In March 2009, concurrent with his ally Crin Antonescu
Crin Antonescu
George-Crin-Laurenţiu Antonescu is a Romanian politician, currently serving as President of the National Liberal Party . He was a candidate for the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2009. He is a member of the Senate, his election having taken place during the 2008 legislative election...
's ascent to the PNL presidency and the sidelining of the Tăriceanu faction, Orban became the party's vice president.
Orban is a somewhat controversial figure, known for his provocative declarations. A fierce critic of 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...
, he called him an "imbecile" for referring to the "imbecile" attitude of a minister during summer 2008 floods, and once shouted, "The President is the last Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
to rule in this realm of darkness!" He also criticises 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...
government, composed of the Băsescu-associated PD-L
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...
and the Social Democrats
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...
, referring to the latter party's leader Mircea Geoană
Mircea Geoana
Dan Mircea Geoană is a Romanian politician, who served as president of the upper chamber of the Romanian Parliament, the Senate from December 20, 2008 until he was revoked by the senators on November 23, 2011. From 21 April 2005 until 21 February 2010 he was the head of the Partidul Social...
as Băsescu's "steward"; and attacking cabinet policies on education, tourism promotion (which he sees as an unnecessary luxury), and the financial crisis (where he foresees the government being unable to pay pensions and salaries). Speaking to a group of female PNL members in Alba County
Alba County
Alba is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, its capital city being Alba-Iulia with a population of 66,406.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 382,747 and the population density was 61/km².* Romanians - 90.4%* Hungarians - 5.4%...
in March 2006, he drew accusations of sexism for stating, "You need not go through any boss's bed to reach important public positions", declaring that 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....
(then a party colleague), Mioara Mantale
Mioara Mantale
Mioara Mantale is a Romanian politician and the Subprefect of the Bucharest Municipality. A member of the Democratic Party and its successor the Democratic Liberal Party, she is the first-ever female prefect of Bucharest, a mandate she held between 2005 and 2007.-Biography:Born in Iaşi, Mantale...
and Elena Udrea
Elena Udrea
Elena Gabriela Udrea is a Romanian politician. A member of the Democratic Liberal Party , she has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Bucharest since 2008...
had done so, but not Mona Muscă
Mona Muscă
Mona Octavia Muscă is a Romanian philologist and politician. A former member of the National Liberal Party and of the Liberal Democratic Party , she was a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Caraş-Severin County from 1996 to 2004 and for Bucharest from 2004 to 2007...
or Norica Nicolai
Norica Nicolai
Norica Nicolai is a Romanian lawyer and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party , she was a member of the Romanian Senate for Cluj County from 2000 to 2008, and has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2009...
. Driving in Cotroceni
Cotroceni
Cotroceni is a neighbourhood in western Bucharest, Romania located around the Cotroceni hill, in Bucharest's Sector 6.The Hill of Cotroceni was once covered by the forest of Vlăsia, which covered most of today's Bucharest...
in December 2007, his car hit a 16-year-old girl, forcing her hospitalisation; despite a call by the prime minister for his resignation, Orban refused to do so and prosecutors ultimately decided not to pursue criminal charges, although his license was suspended and he was fined. His lighter moments have also received attention, for instance regaling a PNL Christmas party with his guitar-playing or playing football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
with his son in the Palace of the Parliament
Palace of the Parliament
The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania is a multi-purpose building containing both chambers of the Romanian Parliament. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Palace is the world's largest civilian administrative building, most expensive administrative building, and...
after his election to the body that sits there.