Miron Mitrea
Encyclopedia
Miron Tudor Mitrea is a Romania
n engineer and politician. A member of the Social Democratic Party
(PSD), he was a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
for Vrancea County
from 1996 to 2008, and has sat in the Romanian Senate
since 2008, representing the same county. In the Adrian Năstase
cabinet, he was Minister of Public Works and Transport from 2000 to 2004.
He has four sons and a daughter. His third and current wife, Manuela, a notary by profession, has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2000.
to Ion and Viorica Mitrea and, after living in Făgăraş
and Braşov
, moved to Bucharest
, where he completed secondary studies at the city's Dr. Petru Groza High School. Following army
service in Medgidia
, he studied Trasportation at the Politehnica University of Bucharest, specialising in road vehicles and graduating in 1981. From 1982 to 1983 he worked at a heavy machine factory in Constanţa
, and then until 1989 he held a similar position in Bucharest, where he was a director on his factory floor.
Following the 1989 Revolution
, Mitrea became president of the trade union Frăţia, and after Frăţia merged with another union in 1993, he continued until 1995 as head of the National Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Romania - Brotherhood
. Joining the PDSR (PSD from 2001), he was elected to the Chamber on its lists in 1996. In 2000, after the PDSR came to power, Mitrea became Minister of Transport, serving until 2004, when the party lost elections
. As minister, his achievements included modernising several rail stations, continuing work on the A2 motorway, rebuilding the northern jetty of the Port of Constanţa
and completing Bucharest apartment blocks that had been left unfinished since 1989. In April 2008, the National Anticorruption Directorate
charged him with receiving bribes, instigating forgery in official documents and using forgery as minister, and Mitrea resigned his Chamber seat that September after his colleagues (despite his request to the contrary) stopped the indictment (and a similar one for Năstase) from moving forward on grounds of parliamentary immunity
; he wished to fight the charges and clear his name. After serving as the coordinator of the PSD's successful 2008 election
campaign, Mitrea won a seat in the Senate.
Within his party, Mitrea has served as Vice President (1995-1996 and 2001-2005), Secretary General (1996-1997 and 2005-2006) and member of the General Executive Bureau (1997-2000). From 1996 to 2000, he was a vice president, quaestor and secretary of the Chamber of Deputies, also serving as a vice president from 2004 to 2008. From 1991 to 1992, he served on the executive bureau of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
. Ideologically, Mitrea is an avowed leftist
but also an anti-communist
, and he has worked to distance the PSD from its image as a successor to the Romanian Communist Party
.
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 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...
(PSD), he was 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 Vrancea County
Vrancea County
Vrancea is a county in Romania, with its seat at Focşani. It is mostly in the historical region of Moldavia but the southern part, below the Milcov River, is in Muntenia.-Demographics:...
from 1996 to 2008, and has sat in the Romanian 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...
since 2008, representing the same county. In the Adrian Năstase
Adrian Nastase
Adrian Năstase is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.He competed as the Social Democratic Party candidate in the 2004 presidential election, but was defeated by centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance candidate Traian Băsescu.He was...
cabinet, he was Minister of Public Works and Transport from 2000 to 2004.
He has four sons and a daughter. His third and current wife, Manuela, a notary by profession, has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2000.
Biography
He was born in SighişoaraSighisoara
Sighişoara is a city and municipality on the Târnava Mare River in Mureş County, Romania. Located in the historic region Transylvania, Sighişoara has a population of 27,706 ....
to Ion and Viorica Mitrea and, after living in Făgăraş
Fagaras
Făgăraș is a city in central Romania, located in Braşov County . Another source of the name is alleged to derive from the Hungarian language word for "partridge" . A more plausible explanation is that the name is given by Fogaras river coming from the Pecheneg "Fagar šu", which means ash water...
and Braşov
Brasov
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....
, moved to 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....
, where he completed secondary studies at the city's Dr. Petru Groza High School. Following army
Romanian Land Forces
The Romanian Land Forces is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the force.The Romanian Land Forces were founded on...
service in Medgidia
Medgidia
-History:Archaeological findings show that Dobruja was inhabited since the Neolithic period. Starting with 46 BC the region was administered by the Roman Empire. A castrum was built in the Carasu Valley, becoming the cradle of the settlement....
, he studied Trasportation at the Politehnica University of Bucharest, specialising in road vehicles and graduating in 1981. From 1982 to 1983 he worked at a heavy machine factory in Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, and then until 1989 he held a similar position in Bucharest, where he was a director on his factory floor.
Following the 1989 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...
, Mitrea became president of the trade union Frăţia, and after Frăţia merged with another union in 1993, he continued until 1995 as head of the National Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Romania - Brotherhood
National Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Romania - Brotherhood
-External links:*...
. Joining the PDSR (PSD from 2001), he was elected to the Chamber on its lists in 1996. In 2000, after the PDSR came to power, Mitrea became Minister of Transport, serving until 2004, when the party lost 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...
. As minister, his achievements included modernising several rail stations, continuing work on the A2 motorway, rebuilding the northern jetty of the Port of Constanţa
Port of Constanta
The Port of Constanța is located in Constanța, Romania, on the western coast of the Black Sea, from the Bosphorus Strait and from the Sulina Branch, through which the Danube river flows into the sea. It covers , of which is land and the rest, , is water. The two breakwaters located northwards...
and completing Bucharest apartment blocks that had been left unfinished since 1989. In April 2008, 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...
charged him with receiving bribes, instigating forgery in official documents and using forgery as minister, and Mitrea resigned his Chamber seat that September after his colleagues (despite his request to the contrary) stopped the indictment (and a similar one for Năstase) from moving forward on grounds of parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which members of the parliament or legislature are granted partial immunity from prosecution. Before prosecuting, it is necessary that the immunity be removed, usually by a superior court of justice or by the parliament itself...
; he wished to fight the charges and clear his name. After serving as the coordinator of the PSD's successful 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...
campaign, Mitrea won a seat in the Senate.
Within his party, Mitrea has served as Vice President (1995-1996 and 2001-2005), Secretary General (1996-1997 and 2005-2006) and member of the General Executive Bureau (1997-2000). From 1996 to 2000, he was a vice president, quaestor and secretary of the Chamber of Deputies, also serving as a vice president from 2004 to 2008. From 1991 to 1992, he served on the executive bureau of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions was an international trade union. It came into being on 7 December 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions , and was dissolved on 31 October 2006 when it merged with the World Confederation of Labour to form the...
. Ideologically, Mitrea is an avowed leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
but also an anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
, and he has worked to distance the PSD from its image as a successor to 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...
.