Mircea Cosea
Encyclopedia
Dumitru Gheorghe Mircea Coşea (born June 9, 1942) is a Romania
n politician, economist, diplomat, essayist, journalist and professor. A former member of the Party of Social Democracy
(PDSR) until June 1997, he joined Teodor Meleşcanu
and Iosif Boda in creating the short-lived Alliance for Romania (Alianţa pentru România, ApR) party, which merged into the National Liberal Party
(PNL) in 2002. In 1999, Coşea was among the members of Varujan Vosganian
's grouping, the Union of Right-wing Forces (Uniunea Forţelor de Dreapta, UFD), which also joined the PNL.
Coşea has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies
for Constanţa County
in 1996-2000 (with the PDSR group in 1996-1997, as an independent in 1997-2000) and for Olt County
, with the Justice and Truth
alliance group, from 2004. With the accession of Romania to the European Union on January 1, 2007, became a Member of the European Parliament
with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
. In March 2007, he resigned from the PNL and, as an independent MEP, joined the Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
(ITS) group inside the European Parliament.
He is a Professor at the Faculty of General Economics, part of the Academy of Economic Studies
(ASE), and at the Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University
(UCDC), being head of the UCDC's Department of European Integration. He is also a regular contributor to Săptămâna Financiară.
Coşea is married, and has fathered a daughter (born in 1970).
, Coşea graduated from the ASE in 1965, and furthered his studies at the Istituto di Studi per lo Sviluppo Economico in Italy
, and later took his Ph.D.
. Between 1967 and the Romanian Revolution of 1989
, he was a simple member of the Romanian Communist Party
. After winning a competition for the office, he represented Communist Romania
at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
in Geneva
between 1973 and 1980. According to his own testimony, he was involved in obtaining relief funds for the town of Zimnicea
, largely destroyed by the severe 1977 earthquake
.
In 1994, he authored a textbooks on Economics for high school students.
As a deputy, Coşea sat on the Committees for Economic Policy, Reform and Privatization (1996-2000) for Budget, Finance and Banks, and for Labor and Social Protection (both in 2004-2005); in 2005, he was appointed to the Committee for European Integration. Between 1993 and 1997, he was a Minister of State
in the Nicolae Văcăroiu
PDSR cabinet, and a member of the Council for Economic Coordination, Strategy and Reform. He was later Secretary of State in the Finance Ministry.
At the time, Coşea was among the initiators of mass privatization
strategies, and organized the latter as a release of coupon
s to citizens, to be transformed into stock
s (see History of Romania since 1989
). Although the measure was initially received with interest, the program was ultimately unsuccessful and most businesses up for privatization did not attract investors' attention (by late 2006, a third of them had gone bankrupt
or were about to do so). Coşea attributed this negative phenomenon to the underdevelopment of the local capital market
, as well as to strategy errors of both the PDSR majority (who had refused to give backing by privatizing Bancorex and Banca Agricolă) and the new Democratic Convention
cabinet of Victor Ciorbea
(who changed the privatization law to accommodate an initial public offering
, viewed by Coşea as more susceptible to political corruption
). He also indicated that only 60% of the companies listed for privatization had any real chance of success.
In 1996-2000, Coşea represented the Parliament of Romania
to the Central European Initiative
. He currently sits on the Board of the National Commission for Economic Prognosis, Planning and Conjuncture.
Following an investigation by the CNSAS into Securitate
archives (August-October 2005), it was confirmed that Coşea had served as a secret police
officer in service of the Communist authorities; the CNSAS was not, however, able to indicate whether he had actually been responsible for political repression. He rejected the verdict entirely, stressing that it contradicted the fact that he had worked abroad during much of the period. According to his version, the Securitate's Espionage
Department (Direcţia de Informaţii Externe, DIE) had repeatedly tried to recruit him during his stay in Switzerland
. Additionally, he indicated that, in 1980, the DIE had kidnapped him and kept him secluded for almost a month, with the intention of obtaining his collaboration, that his daughter was threatened with physical harm, and that, eventually, he was released in exchange for pledging to renounce his office in Geneva
(and giving the impression that this was his own decision). Coşea also stated that he was forced to wear an orthopedic cast
over his leg, to give the impression that his disappearance was due to an automobile accident.
In November 2006, it was rumored that Mircea Coşea weighed the possibility of leaving the PNL and siding with the dissident faction around Gheorghe Flutur
and Theodor Stolojan
(the Liberal Democratic Party
). On January 25, 2007, the CNSAS took a second vote on the matter of his past activities, and established that he had been responsible for political policing, causing Coşea to file a complaint.
He ultimately resigned from the PNL on March 14, 2007, indicating that he had felt marginalized inside its group of MEPs. Despite this move, Coşea denied that he had plans to join the other Romanian Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
members inside the Greater Romania Party
. He also dismissed the notion that the ITS represented a far right
ideology, and argued that his presence would be a sign of actual moderation. This came at a time when the PNL was reviewing an internal directive to exclude former Securitate collaborators.
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, economist, diplomat, essayist, journalist and professor. A former member of the Party of Social Democracy
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...
(PDSR) until June 1997, he joined Teodor Meleşcanu
Teodor Melescanu
Teodor Viorel Meleşcanu is a Romanian politician, diplomat and jurist. Currently serving as senator for the National Liberal Party , he was Minister of Defense between 2007 and 2008, and Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1992 and 1996...
and Iosif Boda in creating the short-lived Alliance for Romania (Alianţa pentru România, ApR) party, which merged into 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) in 2002. In 1999, Coşea was among the members of Varujan Vosganian
Varujan Vosganian
Varujan Vosganian is a Romanian politician, economist, essayist and poet. A member of the National Liberal Party, Vosganian was Romania's Minister of Economy and Commerce in the Tăriceanu cabinet.-Biography:...
's grouping, the Union of Right-wing Forces (Uniunea Forţelor de Dreapta, UFD), which also joined the PNL.
Coşea has been a member of the 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 Constanţa County
Constanta County
Constanța is the name of a county in the Dobruja region of Romania. Its capital city is also named Constanța.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 715,151 and the population density was 101/km². The degree of urbanization is much higher than the Romanian average. In recent years the...
in 1996-2000 (with the PDSR group in 1996-1997, as an independent in 1997-2000) and for Olt County
Olt County
Olt is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia . The capital city is Slatina.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 489,274 and the population density was 89/km²....
, with the Justice and Truth
Justice and Truth
The Justice and Truth Alliance was a political alliance comprising two political parties in Romania: the centre-right liberal National Liberal Party and the initially social-democrat Democratic Party , which later switched to center-right ideology.As the political formation with the largest...
alliance group, from 2004. With the accession of Romania to the European Union on January 1, 2007, became a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. It has political groups in the European Parliament, the EU Committee of the Regions, the...
. In March 2007, he resigned from the PNL and, as an independent MEP, joined the Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
thumb|right|Group logoIdentity, Tradition, Sovereignty was a political group in the European Parliament composed of 23 members from European parties variously described as right-wing and nationalist...
(ITS) group inside the European Parliament.
He is a Professor at the Faculty of General Economics, part of the Academy of Economic Studies
Academy of Economic Studies
The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies is the oldest university of economics and business studies in Romania. It was founded in April 6, 1913 in Bucharest, by the royal decree of Carol I of Romania, under the name Academy of High Commercial and Industrial Studies...
(ASE), and at the Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University
Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University
Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University is a Romanian private University.The Romanian newspaper Gândul has reported that the Christian University "Dimitrie Cantemir" from Bucharest started 34 Master's degree curricula which have no legal ground. According to the rector of the University, Mrs...
(UCDC), being head of the UCDC's Department of European Integration. He is also a regular contributor to Săptămâna Financiară.
Coşea is married, and has fathered a daughter (born in 1970).
Biography
Born in PloieştiPloiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, Coşea graduated from the ASE in 1965, and furthered his studies at the Istituto di Studi per lo Sviluppo Economico in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and later took his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
. Between 1967 and the Romanian Revolution of 1989
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...
, he was a simple member of the Romanian Communist Party
Romanian 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...
. After winning a competition for the office, he represented Communist Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
between 1973 and 1980. According to his own testimony, he was involved in obtaining relief funds for the town of Zimnicea
Zimnicea
Zimnicea is a town in Teleorman county, Romania , a port on the Danube opposite the Bulgarian city of Svishtov.-Geography:...
, largely destroyed by the severe 1977 earthquake
1977 Bucharest Earthquake
The 1977 Vrancea Earthquake occurred on Friday, 4 March 1977, 21:20 local time and was felt throughout the Balkans. It had a magnitude of 7.2 with an epicenter in Vrancea at a depth of ....
.
In 1994, he authored a textbooks on Economics for high school students.
As a deputy, Coşea sat on the Committees for Economic Policy, Reform and Privatization (1996-2000) for Budget, Finance and Banks, and for Labor and Social Protection (both in 2004-2005); in 2005, he was appointed to the Committee for European Integration. Between 1993 and 1997, he was a Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
in the Nicolae Văcăroiu
Nicolae Vacaroiu
Nicolae Văcăroiu is a Romanian politician, member of the Social Democratic Party, who served as Prime Minister between 1992 and 1996. Before the 1989 Revolution he worked at the Committee for State Planning, together with Theodor Stolojan....
PDSR cabinet, and a member of the Council for Economic Coordination, Strategy and Reform. He was later Secretary of State in the Finance Ministry.
At the time, Coşea was among the initiators of mass privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
strategies, and organized the latter as a release of coupon
Coupon
In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotions...
s to citizens, to be transformed into stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
s (see History of Romania since 1989
History of Romania since 1989
- 1989 revolution :1989 marked the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. A mid-December protest in Timişoara against the eviction of a Hungarian minister grew into a country-wide protest against the Ceauşescu régime, sweeping the dictator from power....
). Although the measure was initially received with interest, the program was ultimately unsuccessful and most businesses up for privatization did not attract investors' attention (by late 2006, a third of them had gone bankrupt
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
or were about to do so). Coşea attributed this negative phenomenon to the underdevelopment of the local capital market
Capital market
A capital market is a market for securities , where business enterprises and governments can raise long-term funds. It is defined as a market in which money is provided for periods longer than a year, as the raising of short-term funds takes place on other markets...
, as well as to strategy errors of both the PDSR majority (who had refused to give backing by privatizing Bancorex and Banca Agricolă) and the new Democratic Convention
Romanian Democratic Convention
The Romanian Democratic Convention was an electoral alliance of several political parties of Romania, active from early 1992 until 2000....
cabinet of Victor Ciorbea
Victor Ciorbea
Victor Ciorbea is a Romanian politician. He was the Mayor of Bucharest in 1996-1997 and, after his resignation from office, Prime Minister of Romania from 12 December 1996 to 30 March 1998.-Biography:...
(who changed the privatization law to accommodate an initial public offering
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
, viewed by Coşea as more susceptible to political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
). He also indicated that only 60% of the companies listed for privatization had any real chance of success.
In 1996-2000, Coşea represented the Parliament of Romania
Parliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
to the Central European Initiative
Central European Initiative
The Central European Initiative is a forum of regional cooperation in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, counting 18 member states. It was formed in Budapest in 1989.-History:...
. He currently sits on the Board of the National Commission for Economic Prognosis, Planning and Conjuncture.
Following an investigation by the CNSAS into Securitate
Securitate
The Securitate was the secret police agency of Communist Romania. Previously, the Romanian secret police was called Siguranţa Statului. Founded on August 30, 1948, with help from the Soviet NKVD, the Securitate was abolished in December 1989, shortly after President Nicolae Ceaușescu was...
archives (August-October 2005), it was confirmed that Coşea had served as a secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
officer in service of the Communist authorities; the CNSAS was not, however, able to indicate whether he had actually been responsible for political repression. He rejected the verdict entirely, stressing that it contradicted the fact that he had worked abroad during much of the period. According to his version, the Securitate's Espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
Department (Direcţia de Informaţii Externe, DIE) had repeatedly tried to recruit him during his stay in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Additionally, he indicated that, in 1980, the DIE had kidnapped him and kept him secluded for almost a month, with the intention of obtaining his collaboration, that his daughter was threatened with physical harm, and that, eventually, he was released in exchange for pledging to renounce his office in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
(and giving the impression that this was his own decision). Coşea also stated that he was forced to wear an orthopedic cast
Orthopedic cast
An orthopedic cast, body cast or surgical cast, is a shell, frequently made from plaster, encasing a limb to hold a broken bone in place until healing is confirmed...
over his leg, to give the impression that his disappearance was due to an automobile accident.
In November 2006, it was rumored that Mircea Coşea weighed the possibility of leaving the PNL and siding with the dissident faction around Gheorghe Flutur
Gheorghe Flutur
Gheorge Flutur is a Romanian politician, member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was previously a member of the National Liberal Party, which he resigned from in November 2006. Between December 2004 and November 2006, Flutur was the Minister of Agriculture in the Tăriceanu government...
and Theodor Stolojan
Theodor Stolojan
Theodor Dumitru Stolojan is a Romanian politician. An economist by training, he is a leader of the Democratic-Liberal Party. He previously served as Prime minister of Romania from September 1991 to November 1992. He and his wife Elena have a son, Vlad Stolojan, and a daughter, Ada Palea...
(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...
). On January 25, 2007, the CNSAS took a second vote on the matter of his past activities, and established that he had been responsible for political policing, causing Coşea to file a complaint.
He ultimately resigned from the PNL on March 14, 2007, indicating that he had felt marginalized inside its group of MEPs. Despite this move, Coşea denied that he had plans to join the other Romanian Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
thumb|right|Group logoIdentity, Tradition, Sovereignty was a political group in the European Parliament composed of 23 members from European parties variously described as right-wing and nationalist...
members inside the Greater Romania Party
Greater Romania Party
The Greater Romania Party is a Romanian radical right-wing, ultra-nationalist political party, led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The party is sometimes referred to in English as the Great Romania Party....
. He also dismissed the notion that the ITS represented a far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
ideology, and argued that his presence would be a sign of actual moderation. This came at a time when the PNL was reviewing an internal directive to exclude former Securitate collaborators.
Selected works
- Economie - manual pentru învăţământul liceal ("Economics - Textbook for High School Teaching"), Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică, 1994
- Jurnal în tranziţie ("Diary of the Transition"), Editura Expert, Bucharest, 1995
- with Silviu Cerna, Lucian CroitoruLucian CroitoruLucian Croitoru is a Romanian economist. On October 15, 2009, following the defeat of Emil Boc's government through a motion of no confidence, President Traian Băsescu nominated Croitoru to be Prime Minister of Romania...
, Ion Davidovici, and Daniel DăianuDaniel DaianuDaniel Dăianu is a Romanian economist, professor and politician. He has been a member of the European Parliament since end of 2007, when he was elected on the National Liberal Party's lists....
: Oeconomica, Editura Rosetti, Bucharest, 2005
