Radu Mazăre

Radu Mazăre
Radu Mazăre kitesurfing
Mayor of Constanța
In office
June 2000 – May 2015
Preceded by Gheorghe Mihăeși
Succeeded by Decebal Făgădău (acting)
Member of the
Chamber of Deputies of Romania
for Constanța County
In office
November 27, 1996 – June 27, 2000
Personal details
Born (1968-07-05) July 5, 1968
Bucharest
Nationality Romanian
Political party Democratic Party (1995-1997)
Independent (1997-2003)
Social Democratic Party (since 2003)
Alma mater Mircea cel Bătrân Naval Academy, Constanța
Profession Electronic engineer
Website http://www.radumazare.ro/

Radu Ştefan Mazăre (born July 5, 1968) is a Romanian politician. His political activity began with his election to the lower house of the Parliament on the Democratic Party list, which he left in 1997 to serve as an independent. In 2000 he defeated all party-supported contestants to be elected mayor of Constanța, one of Romania's largest cities and its foremost seaport. Joining the Social Democratic Party in 2003, he went on to win the following three elections with a comfortable majority. In 2015, during his fourth term, Mazăre resigned amid accusations of corruption, citing the unbearable stress caused by what he claimed to be politically motivated investigations. In 2017 he fled while under bail to Madagascar, claiming the right of asylum.[1]

Education

He is a graduate of the "Mircea cel Bătrân" Naval Academy (Electromechanics Department) in Constanța, class of 1991.[2]

Career

Mazăre founded the Telegraf newspaper, the local Neptun TV channel and was a shareholder of the Conpress Holding. He joined the Democratic Party (PD) and was elected to the Romanian Chamber of Deputies in 1996. He later resigned due to "differences between electoral promises and [the] realities of government".

Controversies

He is considered one of the top 300 richest people in Romania and was accused of being a so-called "local baron" of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). In November 2008, The Diplomat reported that the National Anti-corruption Department had accused Mazăre, along with 36 other municipal employees, of corruption, abuse of public service, forgery, and criminal complicity. The group was charged with giving €114 million ($144 million) worth of state-owned land along the coast of the Black Sea and public beaches in Constanta and Mamaia to individuals, including Mazăre's family.[3] Mazăre was awarded 5,000 Romanian Lei in damages after the Anti-corruption Department refused to provide information about the qualification of the experts.[4]

Another controversial event took place in July 2009 when, during a fashion show, Radu Mazăre participated wearing a Nazi Wehrmacht uniform, together with his son, who was also wearing a Nazi uniform. He explained that he "always liked this uniform, and admired the rigorous organization of the German army".[5] According to Mazăre, "I checked it before I put it on but the swastika was very small and I didn't see it".[6] Two days later he issued a public apology to Jewish organisations, declaring that by wearing the uniform he wanted to pay homage to Claus von Stauffenberg, a leading member of the failed plot to kill Adolf Hitler during World War II.[7]

In early 2015, Mazăre was placed under indictment and investigated for corruption-related offenses by the National Anticorruption Directorate.[8]

In July 2017, after nine years of trial, Mazăre was convicted and given a three-year suspended sentence for the illegal sales.[9]

In May 2018, Mazăre received a six and a half-year prison sentence for abuse of power in a case related to the sale of a 15,000 sqm-plot of land in the Mamaia resort, subject to appeal.[10] At the end of 2017 Mazăre had fled to Madagascar, where he owns a holiday resort,[11] asking for the right of asylum.[12]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Former Constanta mayor, Radu Mazare, under judicial control, flees Romania to Madagascar, asks for political asylum". Romania Journal. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "Radu Mazare". Ziare.com. 1989-12-23. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  3. ↑ "Corruption in Romania—Can It Be Eliminated?". The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "Radu Mazăre a câştigat procesul cu DNA". Mediafax. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "Romanian mayor and son parade as Nazis | World | Reuters". Uk.reuters.com. 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  6. ↑ "Romanian mayor's Nazi uniform provokes outrage". Cable News Network. 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  7. ↑ "Radu Mazăre a transmis o scrisoare de scuze organizaţiilor evreiești" [Radu Mazăre sent an apology letter to Jewish organisations] (in Romanian). Mediafax. 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  8. ↑ "Radu Mazăre cercetat penal pentru vânzarea unor terenuri din Mamaia" [Radu Mazăre under Criminal Investigation for Land Sales in Mamaia] (in Romanian). Evenimentul Zilei. 2015-03-20. Retrieved 2015-03-30.
  9. ↑ "Romania: Ex-mayor gets suspended sentence for beach sales". WTOP. 10 July 2017.
  10. ↑ "Radu Mazăre, condamnat la 6 ani și 6 luni de închisoare". Digi24. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "Ce proprietăţi are Mazăre în Madagascar, acolo unde vrea azil politic/ "Acolo sunt mare investitor"". Mediafax. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "Former Romanian mayor asks for political asylum in Madagascar". Romania Insider. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
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