Vlad Voiculescu Explained

Vlad Vasile Voiculescu
Office:Minister of Health
Term Start:23 December 2020
Term End:14 April 2021
Primeminister:Florin Cîțu
Predecessor:Nelu Tătaru
Successor:Florin Cîțu (acting)
Term Start2:20 May 2016
Term End2:4 January 2017
Primeminister2:Dacian Cioloș
Birth Date:6 September 1983
Birth Place:Brănești, Dâmbovița County, Romania
Nationality:Romanian
Party:PLUS (2018–2021)
USR (2021–present)

Vlad Vasile Voiculescu (born 6 September 1983) is a Romanian politician and former Romanian Minister of Health in the Cîțu Cabinet (affiliated with the Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party, PLUS) whose term lasted from 23 December 2020 until he was revoked on 14 April 2021 by PNL Prime Minister Florin Cîțu.[1] He formerly served in the same position in the Cioloș Cabinet between May 2016 and January 2017.[2]

Career

He was born in Brănești, Dâmbovița County. Voiculescu is known as one of the founders of Magicamp, along with the journalist .[3] Magicamp is a non-profit organisation that offers supportive therapies and financial aid to children diagnosed with cancer and their families.[4] The donations consisted of materials whose value is over 3 million euros.[5]

Voiculescu started the "Rețeaua Citostaticelor" (Cytostatics Network),[6] an unofficial mechanism of supplying medications for patients diagnosed with cancer in Romania through parallel proceedings with official methods that are bureaucratic.[7] Those organizations have been the subject of the Rețeaua (Network) documentary, by Claudiu Mitcu.[8]

Politics

In 2018, Voiculescu co-founded the Mișcarea România Împreună ("Romania Together Movement") organization, a political movement founded by the ex-premier Dacian Cioloș. Vlad Voiculescu announced his candidacy in the subsequent 2020 elections for the city hall of Bucharest.[9]

In December 2018, he became a member of the Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS). On 1 August 2019 he was designated by PLUS as a candidate for the Bucharest City Hall.[10] On 28 February 2020 he withdrew his candidacy.[11]

In December 2020, he was nominated to be part of the Cîțu Government as the Minister of Health.[12] However, after a meeting between the Prime Minister of Romania Florin Cîțu and the Deputy Prime Minister of Romania Dan Barna, Voiculescu was removed from his position as Health Minister in 14 April 2021 due to all the scandals surrounding his mandate. Andreea Moldovan, the main Secretary of State of the Health Ministry, who often advised Voiculescu on measures was also removed. Voiculescu was shortly thereafter replaced by Florin Cîțu, the then-incumbent PM, as interim Health Minister.[13]

In popular culture

Voiculescu and his handling of the 2016 diluted disinfectants scandal are one of the main focuses of the 2019 documentary Collective.[14]

Notes and References

  1. News: Oficial: Vlad Voiculescu, demis de la Ministerul Sănătății. Pleacă și Andreea Moldovan / Interimar la Sănătate - Dan Barna. UPDATE. Clarice. Dinu. HotNews. 14 April 2021. ro.
  2. Web site: Founder of "cytostatic network" becomes Romania's Health Minister. Romania Insider. 20 May 2016. en. 2020-03-08.
  3. Web site: Organizatori » MagiCAMP. MagiCAMP. ro-RO. 2020-03-08.
  4. Web site: MagiCAMP at RUF.
  5. Web site: Am vrut să aflăm ce se întâmplă cu banii strânși în urma celei mai ample campanii de donații din România. Recorder.ro. 30 November 2018.
  6. Web site: Cum am devenit membru in Reteaua Citostaticelor. Vlad Mixich. 5 November 2012. 2018-12-10.
  7. Web site: Anonimul care a creat "Reţeaua citostaticelor" a devenit ministrul Sănătăţii. Totul despre Vlad Voiculescu. 20 May 2016. adevarul.ro. en. 2020-03-08.
  8. Web site: Reteaua, documentarul bazat pe o investigatie HotNews.ro, a fost difuzat joi de HBO. Primul instinct al autoritatilor a fost sa manipuleze si sa decredibilizeze - Esential - HotNews.ro. 2015-09-24. www.hotnews.ro. ro. 2020-03-08.
  9. Web site: Vlad Voiculescu a anunțat că va candida la Primăria Capitalei în 2020. Cioloș a lansat azi și noul partid. Maria Tufan. 30 March 2018 . 2018-12-10.
  10. Web site: Vlad Voiculescu, desemnat de PLUS candidat la Primăria București. C.D.. 2020-02-28. August 2019.
  11. Web site: Vlad Voiculescu a anunțat că își retrage candidatura pentru Primăria Capitalei, după ce PNL a anunțat că îl susține pe Nicușor Dan pentru funcția de primar general. El a adăugat însă că va candida pe lista consilierilor generali.. 28 February 2020 . 2020-02-28.
  12. Web site: 2020-12-22. Va fi Vlad Voiculescu ministrul de care avem nevoie în pandemie? Ce a reușit în primul mandat omul de la care avem așteptări uriașe în 2021 - Sanatate - HotNews.ro. 2021-03-03. www.hotnews.ro. ro.
  13. News: Florin Cîțu preia interimatul la Ministerul Sănătății. Klaus Iohannis a semnat decretul. Timiș Online. 14 April 2021. ro.
  14. News: Weissberg . Jay . Venice Film Review: 'Collective' . 2 March 2020 . . 6 September 2019.