Florin Cîțu Explained

Florin Cîțu
Office:President of the Senate of Romania
Term Start:23 November 2021
Term End:29 June 2022
Predecessor:Anca Dragu
Office1:Prime Minister of Romania
President1:Klaus Iohannis
Deputy1:Dan Barna
Kelemen Hunor
Term Start1:23 December 2020
Term End1:25 November 2021
Successor1:Nicolae Ciucă
Office2:President of the National Liberal Party
Term Start2:25 September 2021
Term End2:2 April 2022
Predecessor2:Ludovic Orban
Office3:Minister of Public Finance
Term Start3:4 November 2019
Term End3:23 December 2020
Predecessor3:Eugen Teodorovici
Successor3:Alexandru Nazare
Primeminister4:Himself
Term Start4:8 July 2021
Term End4:18 August 2021
Predecessor4:Alexandru Nazare
Successor4:Dan Vîlceanu
Office5:Member of the Senate of Romania
Term Start5:21 December 2016
Constituency5:Bucharest
Office6:Minister of Health
Status6:Acting
Primeminister6:Himself
Term Start6:14 April 2021
Term End6:21 April 2021
Predecessor6:Vlad Voiculescu
Successor6:Ioana Mihăilă
Office7:Minister of European Funds
Status7:Acting
Primeminister7:Himself
Term Start7:6 September 2021
Term End7:25 November 2021
Predecessor7:Cristian Ghinea
Successor7:Dan Vîlceanu
Birth Date:1972 4, df=y
Birth Place:Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County, Romania[1]
Party:National Liberal Party (PNL)

Florin Vasile Cîțu (in Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan pronounced as /floˈrin vaˈsile ˈkɨt͡su/; born 1 April 1972) is a Romanian politician who served as Prime Minister of Romania between December 2020 and November 2021 (acting/ad interim between October and November 2021). Sometimes labeled as Romania's first libertarian Prime Minister,[2] [3] he was also the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) between September 2021 and April 2022.

After a motion of no-confidence ended his premiership,[4] Cîțu was voted President of the Senate of Romania by the new PSD-PNL-UDMR/RMDSZ CNR coalition established in the Parliament, after the fall of the government he headed in late 2021. However, he resigned from this office also in June 2022, after the same coalition withdrew its support for him. Previously, he also served as Minister of Public Finance in both the first and second cabinet of former PNL Prime Minister Ludovic Orban between 2019 and 2020.

Personal life

Florin Cîțu was born in Râmnicu Vâlcea, although he grew up in the village of Tulei-Câmpeni from Golești commune in Vâlcea County, Oltenia. He was the second ever Prime Minister of Romania from Vâlcea County, after the CDR-supported Mugur Isărescu (a native of Drăgășani).

While abroad for his bachelor studies in the United States at Grinnell College, Cîțu was arrested after being found drunk or under the influence of alcohol while driving DWI and DUI by the American police. He was fined 1,300 USD and jailed for two days.[5]

Education

After graduating from Grinnell College in 1996,[6] Cîțu obtained a master's degree in economics and attended the program for a doctoral degree that he did not complete[7] [8] in macroeconomics and international economics from Iowa State University in 2001.[9]

Early career

Following university graduation, Cîțu worked as an economist for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (2001–2003) and the European Investment Bank (2003–2005).[10] He also worked as an investment banker at ING Group's Romanian division up until 2011, when he was fired on the grounds of incompetence and because of lack of professionalism given that he proved incapable of working well in teams (preferring to do whatever he wanted instead), as subsequently reported by his employer Mișu Negrițoiu who went on to describe him as 'a little satrap'.[11]

Political career

Minister of Finance

In 2019, the joint budget and finance committee of the Parliament of Romania failed to endorse the nomination of Cîțu as finance minister, though their vote was not binding.[12]

On 26 February 2020, following the vote of no confidence against the Orban Cabinet that had taken place 5 February,[13] President Klaus Iohannis designated Cîțu Prime Minister of Romania and asked him to form a new government.[14] [15] Just before the investiture vote took place, Cîțu stepped back in favor of his party leader Ludovic Orban. Due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, the main opposition party, i.e. the Social Democratic Party (PSD), agreed to another term of the Orban cabinet until the December 2020 legislative election. Consequently, Florin Cîțu took back his position as finance minister until the formation of his own cabinet in late December 2020.[16]

Prime Minister

After 9 December 2020, Cîțu was the National Liberal Party's Prime Minister proposal[17] to succeed acting head of government Nicolae Ciucă (also issued from the PNL),[18] [19] following the resignation of Ludovic Orban on 7 December.[20] Cîțu became Prime Minister on 23 December, forming a three-party coalition government. The composition of his cabinet was criticised for having only one female minister and for the appointment of Sorin Cîmpeanu, who in a previous ministerial position had proposed legislation "that protected those found to have plagiarised their academic theses".[21]

During the term of his cabinet, he served as acting Minister of Health (between 14 and 21 April 2021) as a result of the firing of preceding Minister Vlad Voiculescu.[22] On 8 July, he took back the position of Minister of Public Finance for a second time after preceding Minister Alexandru Nazare was ousted, this time acting,[23] until Dan Vîlceanu was sworn in on 18 August.[24]

In September 2021, the coalition was threatened by the withdrawal of USR PLUS party members, following the sacking on no pertinent reported grounds of former Justice Minister, Stelian Ion.[25] The USR PLUS entered parliamentary opposition and put forth a motion of no confidence alongside AUR, thus triggering a major governmental crisis in Romania, which was already hit hard by the fourth wave of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

His former coalition partners, USR PLUS, heavily criticized Cîțu for the adoption of PNDL3 and Anghel Saligny projects through emergency ordinances, two public procurement money-based projects which they deemed corrupt and thereby legitimizing theft from public money and EU funds. Subsequently, Cîțu's position as Prime Minister has been backed by a boycotting of the no confidence motion by both PNL and PSD up to the current day.

In the meantime, his own political party has been swept from public trust (constantly registering lower points in the opinion polls conducted by various institutes for the upcoming legislative elections) and has undergone increased internal turmoil with respect to the congress scheduled for 25 September. In addition, in late September 2021, DNA officially started the criminal investigation in Florin Cîțu's case on the grounds of abuse of office and incitement to abuse of office as Prime Minister.[26]

On 5 October 2021, Cîțu was ousted from his position as Prime Minister after a vote of no-confidence. Former coalition partners USR (previously USR PLUS) described the vote as stemming from "all the reforms that have been blocked in recent months, for the failure of the vaccination campaign, for the use of money and public functions to buy votes at the PNL congress".[27] After the successful vote of no-confidence, Cîțu continued to serve as acting/ad interim Prime Minister until the next cabinet, led by Nicolae Ciucă, was sworn in a month later.[28]

President of the National Liberal Party (PNL)

On 25 September 2021, Cîțu became president of the National Liberal Party (PNL), as a result of defeating previous party president Ludovic Orban in a party congress held on the same day at Romexpo in Bucharest before approximately 5,000 delegates.[29]

Cîțu resigned from this position on 2 April 2022, under pressure from his party colleagues.[30]

President of the Senate

On 23 November 2021, Cîțu became president of the Senate, after Anca Dragu of the Save Romania Union (USR) was dismissed earlier that day.[31]

In this capacity he visited Ukraine in April 2022, in the context of the Russian invasion, after the invitation of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk. Cîțu met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and held a speech as part of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. After visiting Hostomel, Irpin and Bucha, which have been heavily damaged by the aggression, Cîțu strongly condemned the war crimes committed by the Russian army, and highlighted that Russia must pay Ukraine war reparations for the massive damage caused.He also said that Romania should officially propose to the European Commission the establishment of a special position, to coordinate with the Ukrainian side the reconstruction of this country.[32] His visit in Ukraine led to the 2022 cyberattacks on Romania, when a pro-Kremlin hacking group launched a series of DDoS attacks against multiple Romanian websites, including governmental ones.

Cîțu resigned from this office on 29 June 2022. As with the PNL presidency, he was pressured to take this step by the PNL leadership (led by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă) that succeeded him, who withdrew party support for Cîțu after he criticized the actions of the government led by Ciucă. This was the last remaining political office held by Cîțu.[33] [34]

Other activities

Published work

Foreign honours

See also

References

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Notes and References

  1. News: De la coada vacii la studii în SUA: locurile copilăriei premierului Cîțu, încremenite în Evul Mediu FOTO. Daciana. Mitrache. Adevărul. 13 January 2021. ro.
  2. News: Cinci declarații ciudate ale premierului Cîțu. Și o enigmă . Europa Liberă România . 7 July 2021 . Pora . Andreea .
  3. Web site: Florin Cîțu, premierul jucător . 22 August 2021 .
  4. Web site: Guvernul Cîțu a fost demis. Au votat 281 de parlamentari moțiunea de cenzură. 2021-10-20. www.digi24.ro. 5 October 2021 . ro.
  5. Web site: ro. Cum a înșelat Florin Cîțu încrederea alegătorilor și colegilor săi ca om politic. G4Media. Dan Tăpălagă. 12 August 2021. 23 August 2021.
  6. Regenold . Michele . A Game Like Cat and Dog . live . The Grinnell Magazine . Fall 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181223220101/http://magazine.grinnell.edu/news/game-cat-and-dog . 2018-12-23 . 2020-12-07.
  7. Web site: Tatu. Liviu. 2020-02-26. Zbora-Ciurel. Mariana. Aruștei. Simona. Florin-Vasile Cîțu, propus pentru funcția de prim-ministru (fișă biografică). Florin-Vasile Cîțu, proposed for the prime minister function (biographical file). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227182110/https://www.agerpres.ro/documentare/2020/02/26/florin-vasile-citu-propus-pentru-functia-de-prim-ministru-fisa-biografica--456127. 2020-02-27. 2020-12-07. AGERPRES. ro.
  8. Web site: V.M. . 2020-02-26 . Cine este Florin Cîțu, noul premier desemnat . Who is Florin Cîțu, the newly designated prime minister . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200227154250/https://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-esential-23686935-cine-este-florin-citu-noul-premier-desemnat.htm . 2020-02-27 . 2020-12-07 . HotNews.ro . ro.
  9. Web site: 2020-02-27 . Citu appointed Romania's prime minister-designate . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200607185139/https://www.econ.iastate.edu/citu-appointed-romanias-prime-minister-designate . 2020-06-07 . 2020-12-07 . Iowa State University – Department of Economics.
  10. Web site: Rosca . Matei . 2020-12-19 . Liberal Florin Cîțu put forward to be Romania's next prime minister . live . https://archive.today/20201220020510/https://www.politico.eu/article/florin-citu-romania-national-liberal-party-government-prime-minister/ . 2020-12-20 . 2020-12-20 . Politico Europe.
  11. News: Neacșu . Bobi . Mișu Negrițoiu, fostul șef al lui Florin Cîțu: "Un mic satrap, foarte învechit, nu știe să lucreze în echipă" . 10 December 2021 . Libertatea . 4 September 2021 . ro.
  12. Web site: Marinas . Radu . 2020-10-29 . Heavens . Andrew . Romania parliament committee fails to endorse finance minister nominee . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191029170821/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-romania-politics/romania-parliament-committee-fails-to-endorse-finance-minister-nominee-idUSKBN1X81CS . 2019-10-29 . 2020-12-20 . Reuters.
  13. Web site: Romanian Government Toppled In No-Confidence Vote . 2020-02-05 . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . https://web.archive.org/web/20200205154400/https://www.rferl.org/a/romania-s-center-right-government-faces-no-confidence-vote/30418255.html . 2020-02-05 . 2020-12-09 . live.
  14. Web site: Braghiș . Nicoleta . 2020-02-26 . A fost desemnat un nou candidat pentru funcția de premier al României . A new candidate was designated for Romania's premier function . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200226184039/https://www.zdg.md/stiri/stiri-externe/a-fost-desemnat-un-nou-candidat-pentru-functia-de-premier-al-romaniei/ . 2020-02-26 . 2020-02-26 . . ro.
  15. Web site: Budescu . Daniel . 2020-02-26 . BREAKING Klaus Iohannis: Azi am decis să îl desemnez pentru poziția de premier pe domnul Florin Cîțu . BREAKING Klaus Iohannis: Today I've decided to designate Florin Cîțu for the premier position . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200226184102/https://www.g4media.ro/breaking-klaus-iohannis-azi-am-decis-sa-il-desemnez-pentru-pozitia-de-premier-pe-domnul-florin-citu.html . 2020-02-26 . 2020-02-26 . G4Media . ro.
  16. Web site: Florin Citu steps down just before the investiture vote in Parliament, President to call parties for consultations again. 2021-01-14. The Romania Journal. 12 March 2020 . en-GB.
  17. Web site: Petrescu. Ana. 2020-12-09. UPDATE – Ludovic Orban anunță oficial că Florin Cîțu este propunerea PNL de premier. A fost sugestia președintelui ca fiecare să scriem separat propunerea de premier și am scris același nume / Cîțu: Pentru mine e o onoare această nominalizare – VIDEO. live. https://archive.today/20201209181748/https://www.news.ro/politic-intern/update-ludovic-orban-anunta-oficial-florin-citu-propunerea-pnl-premier-propunerea-presedintelui-scriem-separat-propunerea-premier-scris-acelasi-nume-citu-mine-e-onoare-aceasta-nominalizare-video-1922402109002020121619644949. 2020-12-09. 2020-12-09. News.ro. ro.
  18. Web site: Peia. Florentina. 2020-12-07. Tănăsescu. Georgiana. Dădârlat. Adrian Dădârlat. Nicolae Ciucă – prim-ministru interimar. live. https://archive.today/20201208001330/https://www.agerpres.ro/politica/2020/12/07/nicolae-ciuca-prim-ministru-interimar--623651. 2020-12-08. 2020-12-09. AGERPRES. ro.
  19. Decree. 1,047. 7 December 2020. President of Romania. DECRET nr. 1.047 din 7 decembrie 2020 pentru desemnarea unui membru al Guvernului ca prim-ministru interimar. DECREE No. 1,047 from 7 December 2020 for the designation of a member of the Government as acting prime minister. ro.
  20. Web site: 2020-12-07. Kiss. Robert. Ludovic Orban și-a dat demisia din funcția de prim-ministru. live. https://archive.today/20201209182420/https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/actualitate/politica/ludovic-orban-si-a-dat-demisia-din-fruntea-guvernului-1414065. 2020-12-09. 2020-12-09. Digi24. ro.
  21. Web site: Women left out in the cold as Florin Cîțu becomes Romania's PM. Emerging Europe. Turp-Balazs. Craig. 23 December 2020. 23 December 2020.
  22. Web site: Oficial: Vlad Voiculescu, demis de premier. Dan Barna va fi ministrul interimar al sănătății. Președintele a semnat decretul . 2021-04-14 . . 14 April 2021 . ro.
  23. Web site: 2021-08-07 . UPDATE Klaus Iohannis a semnat decretul de revocare a lui Alexandru Nazare. Florin Cîțu, desemnat interimar la Ministerul de Finanțe . 2021-07-13 . . ro.
  24. Web site: Dan Vîlceanu a depus jurământul la Palatul Cotroceni. Klaus Iohannis nu a făcut nicio declaraţie. Cum a comentat echipa Orban gestul şefului statului . 2021-08-25 . Adevărul . 18 August 2021 . ro.
  25. Web site: Romania's ruling coalition in crisis after PM Florin Cîțu dismisses justice minister . EuroNews . 2 September 2021 . 5 September 2021.
  26. Web site: DNA a început urmărirea penală în dosarul lui Florin Cîțu. Acuzațiile: abuz în serviciu și instigare la abuz în serviciu. DigiFM.ro. Gabriel Tudor. 22 September 2021. 24 September 2021.
  27. Web site: Crowcroft. Orlando. 2021-10-05. Romania faces political deadlock after PM Citu ousted. 2021-10-07. euronews. en.
  28. Web site: 2021-11-25 . Guvernul PSD-PNL-UDMR a fost învestit de Parlament cu 318 voturi "pentru" / Ciucă: Ne aflăm într-un moment mult așteptat de toți românii / Ciolacu: Nu voi minți niciodată că am învins pandemia / Barna: De ce nu l-ați chemat direct pe Dragnea să îi predați Ministerul Justiției? . 2022-04-27 . G4Media.ro . ro-RO.
  29. Web site: Florin Cîţu este noul preşedinte al PNL, cu 60,2% din voturi . Antena 3 . 25 September 2021. 25 September 2021.
  30. Web site: VIDEO Florin Cîțu demisionează de la șefia PNL, la 6 luni de la alegerea în funcție / Își chemase colegii în ședință să îi anunțe, dar n-a venit nimeni / Ce spune despre "compromisul" cu PSD . 2022-04-02 . www.hotnews.ro . ro.
  31. Web site: Florin Cîțu este noul președinte al Senatului, după ce Anca Dragu a fost revocată. USR va contesta decizia la CCR . 23 November 2021 . 2022-01-14.
  32. Web site: Primele imagini cu Florin Cîțu în Ucraina: "Ceea ce am văzut deschide ochii lumii asupra acțiunilor Rusiei" . 2022-05-03 . www.antena3.ro . Romanian.
  33. Web site: Florin Cîțu a demisionat de la șefia Senatului. Alina Gorghiu va ocupa interimar funcția .
  34. Web site: Florin Cîțu demisionează de la fruntea Senatului. Cine preia interimatul .
  35. Web site: Fostul economist sef al ING Bank, Florin Citu, a fost concediat . 2022-04-01 . economie.hotnews.ro . ro.
  36. Web site: ro. Mișu Negrițoiu, fostul șef al lui Florin Cîțu, explică de ce l-a concediat din ING: "Un mic satrap, foarte învechit, nu știe să lucreze în echipă". Florin Marinescu. G4Media. 4 September 2021. 25 September 2021.
  37. Web site: ro. Omul care l-a dat afară pe Cîțu RUPE tăcerea: "E un satrap. Nu știe să lucreze în echipă. Orban poate duce mai departe PNL". Realitatea.net. Realitatea.net. 4 September 2021. 25 September 2021.
  38. Web site: ro. Mișu Negrițoiu dezvăluie motivul pentru care l-a concediat pe Cîțu de la ING: "Un mic satrap, foarte învechit, nu știe să lucreze în echipă". Alina Toma. Ziare.comdate=4 September 2021. 25 September 2021.
  39. Web site: ro. Fostul şef al lui Florin Cîţu explică de ce l-a concediat din ING Bank: "Nu ştie să lucreze în echipă şi chiar crede că poate să facă orice". Melania Agiu. Adevărul.ro. 4 September 2021. 25 September 2021.
  40. Web site: EBRD Shareholders and Board of Governors . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201220021459/https://www.ebrd.com/shareholders-and-board-of-governors.html . 2020-12-20 . 2020-12-20 . European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
  41. Web site: Board of Governors . live . https://archive.today/20201220021407/https://www.eib.org/en/about/governance-and-structure/statutory-bodies/board-governors/index.htm . 2020-12-20 . 2020-12-20 . European Investment Bank (EIB).
  42. Web site: Governors and alternates . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201220021404/http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/627731541108831255/BankGovernors.pdf . 2020-12-20 . 2020-12-20 . . 28.
  43. Decree of the President of Ukraine from 23 августа 2021 year № 403/2021 «О награждении Ф.-В. Кыцу орденом "За заслуги"»

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