Victor Ponta
Encyclopedia
Victor-Viorel Ponta is a Romania
n jurist and politician. A member of the Social Democratic Party
(PSD) and its leader since 2010, he has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies
for Gorj County
since 2004. In the Emil Boc
cabinet, he was Minister-Delegate for Relations with Parliament
from 2008 to 2009.
Ponta and his first wife Roxana (a high school sweetheart) have one son; they divorced in 2006. That October, in China
, he quietly wed Daciana Sârbu
, a future Member of the European Parliament
and the daughter of Ponta's Boc cabinet colleague Ilie Sârbu
. The couple's relationship had become serious in 2004, after Ponta's son was born; they had a daughter in March 2008 and married in a Romanian Orthodox
ceremony in the church in Bucharest
's Grădina Icoanei
that June.
's Law faculty. In 2000, he received a master's degree in International Criminal Law from the University of Catania
; he received a degree from the Carol I National Defence University
in 2002, and in 2003 received a doctorate in Criminal Law from the University of Bucharest and a master's degree in Political Management from the Social Democratic Institute. He has written several books in his field, including one on the International Criminal Court
, the subject of his doctoral thesis. Between 1996 and 1998, and since 2002, he has taught Criminal Law at the Romanian-American University
. From 1995 to 1998, Ponta worked as a prosecutor handling cases at the Sector 1
courthouse. From 1998 to 2001, he was a prosecutor at the Supreme Court of Justice
in the anti-corruption division, in particular dealing with economic and financial crimes. From 2000 to 2001, he coordinated the Bureau for Combating Money Laundering.
From 2001 to 2004, Ponta held the rank of Secretary of State as head of the government's Control Department. In 2006, a civil servant at the Ministry of Education (who was in an ongoing feud with Ponta) charged that Ponta, while holding this office, covered up corrupt activities undertaken by former minister Hildegard Puwak
, who was cleared of wrongdoing in a report issued by Ponta. Additionally, he helped uncover cases of fraudulent use of Phare
funds. In 2001 he also joined the supervisory council of the Authority for State Assets Recovery, and that year he was part of a special committee investigating penal infractions committed by members of the government. In March 2004, he became Minister-Delegate for Control of International Grant Programmes Implementation and for Monitoring the Application of the Acquis Communautaire. A PSD member by 2002, he was from July to November of that year head of the Interim National Council of the Social Democratic Youth
(TSD). That October, he became a member of the PSD's national council, and joined its executive bureau the following month, when he also became president of the TSD, remaining as such for four years. In 2005, he became a vice president of Ecosy
, while he has been a vice president of the PSD since December 2006. At the 2004 election
, Ponta won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, where he served as both secretary and vice president of its permanent bureau; he was re-elected in 2008
. That December, he became a minister in the incoming Boc cabinet.
Upon winning confirmation, Ponta pledged to reduce the number of emergency ordinances issued by the government and to assist Parliament in exercising control over the cabinet. Among his activities was to help steer a new civil and penal code through Parliament. Among the more controversial provisions in these codes that Ponta defended (both as minister and as head of the parliamentary committee drafting the legislation) were one presuming that any defensive act done at night at home would be considered legitimate self-defence; and one banning therapeutic abortions after the 24th week of pregnancy, which received sharp criticism from several NGOs
. Ponta, nicknamed "Little Titulescu
", has been known to criticise both members of his own party, commenting that Sector 5
Mayor Marian Vanghelie
(known for his gaffes) "is such a philosopher that not even I can understand him"; and of the PD-L
, remarking, after the two parties had entered a governing coalition, that his Gorj County parliamentary colleagues are "parrots, liars and dimwits". Together with his PSD colleagues, Ponta resigned from the cabinet on October 1, 2009, in protest at the dismissal of vice prime minister and Interior Minister Dan Nica
. In February 2010, he was elected PSD president at a party congress, defeating incumbent Mircea Geoană
, who had narrowly lost
a bid to become President of Romania
several months earlier. The feud between the two men continued; for instance, six months later, Ponta alleged that "moguls" such as Sorin Ovidiu Vântu
had total control over PSD decision-making during Geoană's tenure, a charge the latter denied and attributed to a hidden desire of Ponta's to see him ejected from the post of Senate President
.
Ponta has won national championships in basketball (1989) and auto racing (2008). He was made a knight of the National Order for Faithful Service in 2002, and in 2004 received the Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana.
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 jurist 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) and its leader since 2010, he has been 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 Gorj County
Gorj County
Gorj is a county of Romania, in Oltenia, with its capital city at Târgu Jiu.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 387,308 and its population density was 69/km².* Romanians – over 98%* Rromas, others.- Geography :...
since 2004. 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-Delegate for Relations with Parliament
Ministry of Relations with the Parliament (Romania)
The Ministry of Relations with the Parliament of Romania was one of the ministries of the Government of Romania.The Ministry was dissolved in 23 December 2009....
from 2008 to 2009.
Ponta and his first wife Roxana (a high school sweetheart) have one son; they divorced in 2006. That October, in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, he quietly wed Daciana Sârbu
Daciana Sârbu
Daciana Octavia Sârbu is a Romanian politician, lawyer, and Member of the European Parliament. Affiliated with the Social Democratic Party , part of the Party of European Socialists, she became a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Argeş County following the 2004 elections, and became...
, a future 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,...
and the daughter of Ponta's Boc cabinet colleague Ilie Sârbu
Ilie Sârbu
Ilie Sârbu is a Romanian theologian, economist and politician. A member of the Social Democratic Party , he has sat in the Romanian Senate since 2004, representing Timiş County...
. The couple's relationship had become serious in 2004, after Ponta's son was born; they had a daughter in March 2008 and married in a Romanian Orthodox
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
ceremony in the church in 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....
's Grădina Icoanei
Gradina Icoanei
Grădina Icoanei is a small park in central Bucharest, situated not far away from Piaţa Romană and Bulevardul Magheru.The Bulandra Theatre , Ioanid Park , the Icoanei Church and the Anglican Church are located in the park's immediate vicinity....
that June.
Biography
He was born in Bucharest, completing secondary studies in 1991 at the city's Ion Neculce High School. In 1995, he graduated from the University of BucharestUniversity of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
's Law faculty. In 2000, he received a master's degree in International Criminal Law from the University of Catania
University of Catania
The University of Catania is a university located in Catania, Italy, and founded in 1434. It is the oldest university in Sicily, the 13th oldest in Italy and the 29th oldest university in the world...
; he received a degree from the Carol I National Defence University
Carol I National Defence University
The Carol I National Defence University , located in Bucharest, Romania, was established in 1889. It seeks to train military and civilian experts in security and national defence, and undertakes scientific studies related to these matters when requested by relevant state authorities.-External links:*...
in 2002, and in 2003 received a doctorate in Criminal Law from the University of Bucharest and a master's degree in Political Management from the Social Democratic Institute. He has written several books in his field, including one on the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
, the subject of his doctoral thesis. Between 1996 and 1998, and since 2002, he has taught Criminal Law at the Romanian-American University
Romanian-American University
The Romanian-American University is a private university in Bucharest, Romania, which offers courses and degrees in English. It was founded by Ion Smedescu....
. From 1995 to 1998, Ponta worked as a prosecutor handling cases at the 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...
courthouse. From 1998 to 2001, he was a prosecutor at the Supreme Court of Justice
High Court of Cassation and Justice
The High Court of Cassation and Justice is Romania's supreme court, and the court of last resort. It is the equivalent of France's Cour de cassation and serves a similar function to other courts of cassation around the world...
in the anti-corruption division, in particular dealing with economic and financial crimes. From 2000 to 2001, he coordinated the Bureau for Combating Money Laundering.
From 2001 to 2004, Ponta held the rank of Secretary of State as head of the government's Control Department. In 2006, a civil servant at the Ministry of Education (who was in an ongoing feud with Ponta) charged that Ponta, while holding this office, covered up corrupt activities undertaken by former minister Hildegard Puwak
Hildegard Puwak
Hildegard Carola Puwak is a Romanian politician, member of the Social Democratic Party, who served as the Minister for European Integration from 2000 until October 2003...
, who was cleared of wrongdoing in a report issued by Ponta. Additionally, he helped uncover cases of fraudulent use of Phare
Phare
The Phare programme is one of the three pre-accession instruments financed by the European Union to assist the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe in their preparations for joining the European Union....
funds. In 2001 he also joined the supervisory council of the Authority for State Assets Recovery, and that year he was part of a special committee investigating penal infractions committed by members of the government. In March 2004, he became Minister-Delegate for Control of International Grant Programmes Implementation and for Monitoring the Application of the Acquis Communautaire. A PSD member by 2002, he was from July to November of that year head of the Interim National Council of the Social Democratic Youth
Social Democratic Youth (Romania)
The Social Democratic Youth is the youth organisation of the Romanian social democratic party Partidul Social Democrat .-External links:*...
(TSD). That October, he became a member of the PSD's national council, and joined its executive bureau the following month, when he also became president of the TSD, remaining as such for four years. In 2005, he became a vice president of Ecosy
Ecosy
ECOSY - Young European Socialists is an association of social-democratic youth organisations in the European Union. The most widely accepted pronunciation of ECOSY is as a single word with short "e" and short "o"....
, while he has been a vice president of the PSD since December 2006. At the 2004 election
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...
, Ponta won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, where he served as both secretary and vice president of its permanent bureau; he was re-elected in 2008
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...
. That December, he became a minister in the incoming Boc cabinet.
Upon winning confirmation, Ponta pledged to reduce the number of emergency ordinances issued by the government and to assist Parliament in exercising control over the cabinet. Among his activities was to help steer a new civil and penal code through Parliament. Among the more controversial provisions in these codes that Ponta defended (both as minister and as head of the parliamentary committee drafting the legislation) were one presuming that any defensive act done at night at home would be considered legitimate self-defence; and one banning therapeutic abortions after the 24th week of pregnancy, which received sharp criticism from several NGOs
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
. Ponta, nicknamed "Little Titulescu
Nicolae Titulescu
Nicolae Titulescu was a well-known Romanian diplomat, at various times government minister, finance and foreign minister, and for two terms President of the General Assembly of the League of Nations . He was a member of the Freemasonry.-Early years:...
", has been known to criticise both members of his own party, commenting that Sector 5
Sector 5 (Bucharest)
Sector 5 is a sector in Bucharest.-Quarters:*13 Septembrie*Cotroceni*Dealul Spirii*Giurgiului*Ferentari*Rahova-Politics:...
Mayor Marian Vanghelie
Marian Vanghelie
Daniel Marian Vanghelie is a Romanian politician of Jewish and Gypsy descent, being the mayor of the 5th Sector of Bucharest since 2000 and a prominent member and vice-president of the ....
(known for his gaffes) "is such a philosopher that not even I can understand him"; and of the 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...
, remarking, after the two parties had entered a governing coalition, that his Gorj County parliamentary colleagues are "parrots, liars and dimwits". Together with his PSD colleagues, Ponta resigned from the cabinet on October 1, 2009, in protest at the dismissal of vice prime minister and Interior Minister Dan Nica
Dan Nica
Dan Nica is a Romanian engineer and politician. A member of the Social Democratic Party , he has been a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Galaţi County since 1996...
. In February 2010, he was elected PSD president at a party congress, defeating incumbent 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...
, who had narrowly lost
Romanian presidential election, 2009
The first round of 2009 Romanian presidential elections was held in Romania on 22 November and a run-off round between Traian Băsescu and Mircea Geoană was held on 6 December 2009. Although most exit polls favored Geoană in the runoff, the authorities declared Băsescu the narrow victor with 50.33%...
a bid to become President of Romania
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...
several months earlier. The feud between the two men continued; for instance, six months later, Ponta alleged that "moguls" such as Sorin Ovidiu Vântu
Sorin Ovidiu Vântu
Sorin Ovidiu Vântu is a Romanian businessman and owner of the Realitatea-Caţavencu media company. In 2008 he was considered the 5th richest man in Romania with an estimated net worth between 800 and 850 million euros....
had total control over PSD decision-making during Geoană's tenure, a charge the latter denied and attributed to a hidden desire of Ponta's to see him ejected from the post of Senate President
President of the Senate of Romania
The President of the Senate of Romania is the senator elected to preside over the Senate meetings. He is also the president of the Standing Bureau of the Senate, and the second leader of the State.-Election:...
.
Ponta has won national championships in basketball (1989) and auto racing (2008). He was made a knight of the National Order for Faithful Service in 2002, and in 2004 received the Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana.