Crin Antonescu

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Crin Antonescu
Acting President of Romania[a]
In office
10 July 2012 – 27 August 2012
Prime MinisterVictor Ponta
Preceded byTraian Băsescu
Succeeded byTraian Băsescu
President of the Senate of Romania
In office
3 July 2012 – 4 March 2014
PresidentTraian Băsescu
Preceded byVasile Blaga
Succeeded byCălin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Leader of the National Liberal Party
In office
20 March 2009 – 31 May 2014
Preceded byCălin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Succeeded byKlaus Iohannis
Minister of Youth and Sport
In office
5 December 1997 – 28 December 2000
Prime MinisterVictor Ciorbea
Gavril Dejeu (Acting)
Radu Vasile
Alexandru Athanasiu (Acting)
Mugur Isărescu
Preceded byMihai-Sorin Stănescu
Succeeded byGeorgiu Gingăraș
Member of the Senate of Romania
In office
19 December 2012 – 16 December 2016
ConstituencyTeleorman County
In office
15 December 2008 – 18 December 2012
ConstituencyBucharest
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
13 December 2004 – 14 December 2008
ConstituencyBucharest
In office
16 October 1992 – 12 December 2004
ConstituencyTeleorman County
Personal details
Born (1959-09-21) 21 September 1959 (age 64)
Tulcea, Tulcea County Romania
Political partyNational Liberal Party (PNL)
Other political
affiliations
Social Liberal Union
(2011–2014)
Spouse(s)Aurelia Antonescu (?–2004)
Adina-Ioana Vălean (m. 2009)
ChildrenIrina
Alma materUniversity of Bucharest (UB)
a. ^ During impeachment trial of President Traian Băsescu

George Crin Laurențiu Antonescu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈdʒe̯ordʒe ˈkrin la.uˈrentsju antoˈnesku]; born 21 September 1959) is a Romanian politician, who was President of the National Liberal Party (PNL) from 2009 to 2014. He also served as the country's Acting President after the impeachment of Traian Băsescu and as the President of the Senate.[1]

He was first elected to the Senate in the 2008 legislative election. From 1996 to 2008, he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies, acting as leader of the party delegates between 2007 and 2008. On 3 July 2012 he was elected President of the Senate after the dismissal of the former leader, Vasile Blaga, from office. He became Acting President of Romania on 10 July 2012 after the Parliament suspended Traian Băsescu for the second time on 6 July 2012.

On 4 March 2014, during the debate in parliament on the vote for a new government, Antonescu resigned as president of the Senate.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Antonescu was born in Tulcea, Tulcea County, Socialist Republic of Romania. After his parents' divorce, he was raised by his father, a distant relative of Ion Antonescu, who encouraged him to attend the Faculty of History and Philosophy at the National University of Bucharest (UB), in order to become a history teacher.[3]

Professional career[edit]

Upon graduating in 1985, Crin Antonescu worked as a History teacher in the village of Solești, Vaslui County.[4] He later returned to Tulcea, continuing his teaching activity in Niculițel until 1989.[5] Antonescu worked as a curator for the Tulcea Museum of History and Archaeology from 1989 to 1990, when he resumed his teaching activity at the "Spiru Haret" High School in Tulcea, prior to being elected to the Chamber of Deputies.

Political career[edit]

Antonescu and Victor Ponta in 2013

Upon joining the National Liberal Party (PNL), Antonescu helped organize the Tulcea branch of the party. In 1995, he was elected PNL Vice President and, subsequently, leader of the liberal politicians active in the Chamber of Deputies, holding that position for two non-consecutive mandates. During his activity in the Chamber of Deputies, he was a member of the Committee for Education, Youth and Sports, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Committee of Culture, Arts and Media.

Antonescu was the Romanian Minister of Youth and Sports from 1997 to 2000.[6] He initiated a series of reforms, the most prominent being the legal perpetuity for Romanian athletes with significant Olympic results.[7]

As of 20 March 2009, Antonescu was the President of the National Liberal Party (PNL), in addition to being the party's candidate for the 2009 presidential elections in Romania. In September 2009, Antonescu was situated third in Romanians' voting preferences for the 2009 Presidential elections.[8][9]

After President Traian Băsescu's suspension on 3 July 2012, he assumed acting Presidency of Romania. After the end of the ad interim term as President of Romania, Antonescu continued to serve as Senate President until the dissolution of USL, after which he reigned from this dignity. After 2014, he slowly but steadily withdrew from politics, resigning from his last remaining political position in late February 2015.[10][11]

Presidential styles of
Crin Antonescu
Reference stylePreședintele interimar (ad interim President)
Spoken stylePreședintele interimar (ad interim President)
Alternative styleDomnia Sa/Excelența Sa (His Excellency)

Personal life[edit]

Antonescu's first wife Aurelia committed suicide in 2004 due to an incurable disease.[12] The two have a daughter, Irina, born in 2001. In June 2009, Antonescu announced he will get married again to party colleague Adina Vălean.[13] The couple got married on 25 September 2009.[14]

Electoral history[edit]

Presidential elections[edit]

Election Affiliation First round Second round
Votes Percentage Position Votes Percentage Position
2009 PNL 1,945,831
20.0%
 3rd  not qualified

References[edit]

  1. ^ Luminita Parvu (March 20, 2009). "Crin Antonescu is the new PNL President" (in Romanian). Hot News. Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  2. ^ "Romania Senate speaker Crin Antonescu resigns". Hot News. March 4, 2014. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  3. ^ "Crin Antonescu, liberal din '90, parlamentar și vicepreședinte PNL timp de 9 ani" [Crin Antonescu, liberal since 1990 and Vice-president of PNL for nine years] (in Romanian). Mediafax. March 20, 2009. Archived from the original on December 7, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  4. ^ "Crin Antonescu a predat istoria la Solești" [Crin Antonescu, professor of history] (in Romanian). Evenimentul zilei. June 6, 2009. Archived from the original on December 26, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  5. ^ "The world does not go forward with the rave" (in Romanian). rol.ro. June 29, 2008. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  6. ^ "Guvernul Victor Ciorbea" [The Victor Ciorbea Government] (in Romanian). Agerpress. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  7. ^ Cristian Predan (October 7, 2004). "350 de sportivi romani primesc renta viagera" [350 Romanian athletes receive perpetuity] (in Romanian). Archived from the original on November 13, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  8. ^ "BCS Survey: Traian Băsescu - 30.5%, Crin Antonescu - 20.1%, Mircea Geoană - 19.2%". Hot News. September 1, 2009. Archived from the original on November 17, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  9. ^ "Crin Antonescu may get in the second round, along with President Băsescu" (in Romanian). Politico.ro. September 22, 2009. Archived from the original on September 25, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  10. ^ "Crin Antonescu SE RETRAGE și din ultima funcție deținută: "Nu consider potrivit să mai continui"". www.antena3.ro (in Romanian). 2015-02-22. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  11. ^ "Adevărul despre retragerea din politică a lui Crin Antonescu". www.antena3.ro (in Romanian). 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  12. ^ "Crin Antonescu, despre sinuciderea sotiei sale" [Crin Antonescu, regarding the suicide of his wife] (in Romanian). 2004. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  13. ^ "Crin Antonescu: Ma voi casatori cu Adina Valean" [Crin Antonescu: I will marry Adina Vălean] (in Romanian). Hot News. June 25, 2009. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  14. ^ "Adina Vălean și Crin Antonescu s-au căsătorit" [Adina Vălean and Crin Antonescu got married] (in Romanian). www.mediafax.ro. September 26, 2009. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2009.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Youth and Sport
1997–2000
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Romanian Senate
2012–2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Romania
Acting

2012
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the National Liberal Party
2009–2014
Succeeded by