Adrian Nastase Adrian Năstase (born June 22 1950) is the current Prime Minister of Romania. He has been Prime Minister since 28 December 2000. He is also the president of the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD). He stood for president in the 2004 presidential election and came first, although not by a large enough margin to avoid a second round. Biography Family background Năstase was born in Bucharest in a family that originated from Hanul de Pământ village, Tărtăşeşti municipality, Dâmboviţa county. His father, Marin Năstase was an officer of the Royal Romanian Army that was marginalized after the arrival of the communists in 1947, but he got his job back was after he joined the Romanian Communist Party. Soon after, he became part of the Romanian Communist nomenklatura, serving as director in the education minister. Communist period He graduated from the University of Bucharest, credentialed by both the Department of Law and the Department of History and Philosophy, and has worked as a professor, judge, and as president of several organizations involved with law and international relations. While he was still a student, he married the daughter of Communist dignitary Grigore Preoteasa, then divorced her and married Dana Miculescu, the daughter of Angelo Miculescu, another important Communist personality. They have two sons, Andrei and Mihnea. Although he was young, he became a man trusted by the Romanian Communist Party and was sent as Romania's representative to various international conferences on human rights. He published many Communist apologist articles in the Romanian press, such as the one called "Human rights - a retrograde concept", in which he attacks the Freedom House for its annual "rank" which called the Communist Romania a "Not Free" country. Năstase, 1983 In 1989 he participated in a Romanian-Soviet Youth's conference in Moscow and another one in Pyongyang, North Korea. In an interview given to Russian Komsomolskaya Pravda he talked openly against Perestroika. Gosu, 2004 Post-1989 political career He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Romania as member of the National Salvation Front party on June 9 1990 and served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the governments of Petre Roman and Theodor Stolojan (June 28, 1990–October 16, 1992). From 1990 to 1992, he also taught law at several institutions of higher education in Bucharest. In 1992 he was was elected for another term in the Chamber of Deputies as a member of the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN) and served as the President of the Chamber of Deputies.Between 1993 and 1997 he was also the Executive President of the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR, formerly FDSN, ancestor of today's PSD). The 1996 elections were lost by PDSR and he was the leader of the opposition PDSR parliamentary group, Vice-president of Chamber of Deputies, member of Standing Bureau and Member of the Romanian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe where he was the Recording Secretary of Council of Europe commission on judicial problems and human rights with reference to illegal activities by religious sects. Prime Minister of Romania term On December 28 2000 he was inaugurated prime minister and since 19 January 2001 has been the president of PDSR and its successor, the Social Democratic Party (PSD). During his tenure as prime minister, the economy continued to improve, growing over 4% yearly and totaling more than 20% in four years. However, this growth was not evenly distributed among the social classes, and the percentage of people living below the poverty level remained high. Also, inflation decreased and the leu became stronger, which was most likely caused by the influx of foreign currency into Romania from the large number of Romanians working abroad -- estimated in the range of millions. The privatisation of large state-owned companies continued, with the selling of selling of money-losing steel enterprise Sidex of Galaţi to the Indian company Ispat and of the oil company Petrom to Austrian company OMV; both sales were for prices much lower than expected. 2004 presidential candidacy The 2004 presidential election cycle marks the end of the second term of President Ion Iliescu. According to the constitution, he cannot succeed himself again. The PSD selected Năstase to be its candidate. His running mate (selected to become prime minister) is Mircea Geoană. During the electoral campaign, Năstase refused a one-on-one free debate with his leading adversary, Traian Băsescu, accepting only a more rigid type of debate, in which every candidate has a predetermined time in which he can speak and they had no right to attack their adversary. Allegations of corruption and other controversies 2004 secret meeting recording In October 2004 Năstase was recorded in a PSD meeting showing his concern about an alleged 700 million USD bribe received by a government member upon the privatisation of state-run petroleum company Petrom. Năstase has been recorded saying: Today I have asked the General Prosecutor to investigate this, because if someone from the Government got $700 million and did not bring in his contribution to the election campaign, then he is twice guilty. An article, including the audio recording http://www.evz.ro/diverse/700_milioane/700_milioane.mp3, was published by Evenimentul Zilei on December 4, 2004. Adrian Năstase declared afterwards it was only a joke. 2003-2004 PSD transcripts Closely guarded text transcripts of PSD meetings have surfaced on an anonymous Web site just before the 2004 Romanian presidential election. Năstase and his ministers are shown talking about political involvement in corruption trials of the government's members, or involvement in supressing "disobedient" media. Năstase stated that the transcripts were fake, but several party members, including Foreign Minister and PM candidate Mircea Geoană, said they are indeed genuine. Undervalued land In 1998, he bought (through some middlemen) a 700 m2 terrain in a posh neighbourhood of Bucharest, from controversial businessman Gabriel Bivolaru, for a price that was estimated by real-estate agents to be less than 25 times its worth. On this terrain, his company built a luxury apartments building. An inquiry by the National Anti-corruption prosecution office dismissed the charges though. Undeclared gift On 4 November, 2004, Năstase received from Ion Ţiriac a Mercedes S500 (worth USD100,000) for a bet they had http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3983863.stm. The Romanian law requires high-ranking officials to declare any gift worth more than USD200 in less than 30 days after they received it, but Năstase failed to declare it as of 7 December. Allegations of homosexuality Ever since the early 1990s, the Năstase's nickname has been "bombonel" ("candy"), pointing to his alleged homosexuality. In 2004, Corneliu Vadim Tudor wrote in his newspaper, Ziarul Tricolorul that he has as proof a video-tape in which Năstase engages in homosexual acts, but it was never published. In the 2004 electoral campaign, Năstase virulently attacked his opponent Traian Băsescu for the latter's liberal views on homosexuality. Publications Năstase has published over 150 pieces on International law in Romanian and foreign journals, and has held over 140 talks at international meetings; publications include: The Political Idea of Change International Economic Law II Parliamentary Humor Romania and the New World Order The Construction of Europe and Constitutional Supremacy Romania's Treaties (1990–1997) Personal Rights of the National Minorities Regulations in International Law The Battle for Life Romania-NATO 2002 NATO Enlargement. See also List of national leaders List of Prime Ministers of Romania External link Adrian Năstase - Official Webpage (in Romanian) Adrian Năstase on Politic.ro (in Romanian) Evenimentul Zilei article on the alleged $700m Petrom bribe, includes audio footage (in Romanian) Transcripts of PSD meetings Geoana admitted PSD stenograms true References Gosu, Armand, "25 noiembrie 1989: Nastase, avocatul lui Nicolae Ceausescu". Evenimtul Zilei, December 3, 2004. The title translates as "November 5, 1989: Nastase, advocate for Nicolae Ceausescu". Năstase, Adrian , "Drepturile omului, un concept retrograd" Concepţii şi controverse în domeniul drepturilor omului, în viitorul social, magazine of the Academiei Ştefan Gheorghiu, jan-feb 1983, 45-50. Reprinted by Academia Caţavencu, 16 November, 2004 in its Scînteia supplement, which presented Communist era writings by now-PSD politicians, in a format resembling a Communist era copy of the then-official newspaper Scînteia. The title of Năstase's article translates as "Human rights, a retrograde concept". Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Nastase