Elena Udrea
Elena Udrea | |
---|---|
Minister of Tourism | |
In office 22 December 2008 – 23 December 2009 | |
Prime Minister | Emil Boc |
Preceded by | Matei-Agathon Dan (2000–2003) |
Succeeded by | Herself (Regional Development and Tourism) |
Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
In office 30 November 2008 – 20 December 2016 | |
Member of the General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest | |
In office June 2004 – February 2005 | |
Mayors: | Traian Băsescu Adriean Videanu |
Leader of the People's Movement Party | |
In office 8 June 2014 – 30 January 2015 | |
Preceded by | Eugen Tomac (Acting) |
Succeeded by | Eugen Tomac |
Personal details | |
Born | Buzău, Romania | 26 December 1973
Political party | National Liberal Party (2002–2005) Liberal Democratic Party (2006–2007) Democratic Liberal Party (2007–2014) People's Movement Party (2014–2016) |
Spouse | |
Alma mater | Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University Carol I National Defence University |
Elena Gabriela Udrea (Romanian pronunciation:
Biography
Education and legal career
Udrea was born in Buzău and completed secondary studies at the city's Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu National College.[1] She then attended the faculty of Law and Public Administration at Bucharest's Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, graduating in 1996.[2]
In 2005, Udrea began studies at the Carol I National Defence University, receiving a master's degree in Military Science in 2007.[2] She began work on a doctorate in the same field, but abandoned the endeavor in 2012.[3] Udrea worked as a lawyer in Bucharest from 1997 to February 2005, resuming the practice of law that December.[2] At Dimitrie Cantemir, she began teaching political systems in autumn 2007,[4] and she has authored or co-authored five works on geopolitics and globalisation.[2] Some of her activities as a lawyer have drawn criticism from the non-governmental Political Investigation Group: for instance, it has questioned the fact that while an opposition city councillor in 2004, she represented the government-run Department for State Heritage Administration (RA-APPS), at one point receiving public contracts worth 710 million lei during a single week.[5]
Political career
Udrea began her political activity in 2002 as a legal adviser to the
From February to November 2005, while away from her law practice, Udrea was a state counsellor and head of the Presidential Chancellery under
At the
That October, she became interim
For the
Legal problems
In January 2015, she was questioned by prosecutors from the
In March 2017, she was convicted of bribery and abuse of power in the Bute case, receiving a six-year prison sentence, subject to appeal.[31] Udrea reacted by characterizing the proceedings as a matter of life and death, stating she would not accept to go to prison for what she termed "completely unproven accusations" and "bald-faced lies";[32] she subsequently filed an appeal.[33] That appeal was rejected in June 2018, when the High Court of Cassation and Justice upheld the six-year sentence.[34]
At the beginning of 2018 Udrea had fled to
Subsequently, Udrea returned to Romania on 8 July 2019, after the Constitutional Court of Romania had decided on 3 July that the three-judge panels who tried corruption cases were also illegal because not all judges in these panels were specialized in corruption.[40][41][42] As of November 2022, Udrea is serving her 6-year sentence at Târgșor Prison.[43]
In July 2020, the Romanian businessman Radu Budeanu admitted having intermediated a bribe from another businessman (whose identity remains unknown) to Udrea. The bribe was meant to make Udrea help the businessman renew long-term contracts between his commercial energy companies and the state-owned company Hidroelectrica. Although he initially promised Udrea US$5 million, Budeanu claimed to have intermediated several payments summing up to $3.8 million between November 2011 and February 2012.[44]
Personal life
The businessman Dorin Cocoș became her husband when the couple married on Udrea's 30th birthday in 2003, at the Romanian Consulate in New York City.[5] They divorced in June 2013.[45]
In August 2011, Udrea generated controversy when she wore a Dolce & Gabbana dress that some media outlets claimed cost £14,310,[46] to which she responded that the actual cost was some twenty times less.[47] Three months later, she appeared on the cover of the Romanian magazine Tabu wearing a rubber dress and thigh-high boots.[48]
On 20 September 2018, Elena Udrea gave birth to a baby girl in Costa Rica.[49]
Electoral history
Presidential elections
Election | Affiliation | First round | Second round | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | Percentage | Position | Votes | Percentage | Position | ||
2014 | PMP–PNȚ-CD Alliance | 493,376 | 5.20% |
4th |
See also
Notes
- ^ (in Romanian) "Despre mine" ("About Me") Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 25 February 2009
- ^ a b c d e f (in Romanian) Curriculum Vitae Archived 2009-01-20 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 25 February 2009
- ^ (in Romanian) Cristian Andrei, "Elena Udrea despre scandalul de plagiat" ("Elena Udrea about the Plagiarism Scandal"), Gândul, 29 June 2012; accessed June 1, 2014
- ^ a b c (in Romanian) "Udrea va fi prima doamnă în partidul lui Băsescu" ("Udrea Will Be First Lady in Băsescu's Party"), Cotidianul, 10 December 2007, retrieved 25 February 2009
- ^ a b c d e f g h (in Romanian) "Filaj la Boc: Căţărarea şi descălecarea Elenei Udrea" ("The Boc Lineup: Elena Udrea's Rise and Settlement") Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, Jurnalul Național, 6 January 2009, retrieved 25 February 2009
- ^ (in Romanian) "Elena Udrea: Nu-i partid ca PD-L, deşi avem şi noi uscături" ("Elena Udrea: There Is No Party like the PD-L, although We too Have Dead Wood"), Ziare.com, 12 April 2008, retrieved 25 February 2009
- ^ a b c (in Romanian) Mircea Marian, "Blonda de la Cotroceni nu se îngrijorează că preşedintele Norvegiei nu ne vrea in UE" ("The Cotroceni Blonde Isn't Worried that the Norwegian President Doesn't Want Us in the EU"), Adevărul, 20 April 2005, retrieved 25 February 2009
- ^ (in Romanian) Roxana Grigorean, "Elena Udrea spune că va face tot posibilul ca turismul să aducă 20 mld. euro la PIB în 2012" ("Elena Udrea Says She Will Do Everything Possible for Tourism to Contribute 20 Billion Euros to the GDP in 2012"), Ziarul Financiar, 20 February 2009, retrieved 26 February 2009
- ^ (in Romanian) Elena Stan, "Udrea: demisia şi dosare penale" ("Udrea: Resignation and Penal Dossiers") Archived 2009-09-26 at the Wayback Machine, Jurnalul Naţional, 23 September 2009; accessed August 27, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) Florina Zainescu, Lacrima Andreica and Adriana Duţulescu, "Guvernul, îngropat cu lăutari" ("The Government, Interred with Lăutari") Archived 2009-10-05 at the Wayback Machine, Jurnalul Naţional, 2 October 2009; accessed July 23, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) Gabriela Antoniu, "Lista de miniştri a guvernului Emil Boc 4" ("List of Ministers of the Emil Boc 4 Government") Archived 2009-12-23 at the Wayback Machine, Jurnalul Naţional, 20 December 2009; accessed July 23, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) Dan Zăvăleanu, "Elena Udrea zboară din Guvern" ("Elena Udrea Flies from Government"), Cotidianul, 8 February 2012; accessed February 9, 2012
- ^ (in Romanian) "Boc, supravieţuitorul moţiunilor de cenzură, a cedat nemulţumirilor PDL şi protestelor străzii" ("Boc, Survivor of Censure Motions, Yielded to PDL Grievances and Street Protests") Archived 2012-02-09 at the Wayback Machine, România Liberă, 6 February 2012; accessed February 9, 2012
- ^ (in Romanian) Adriana Duţulescu, "Elena Udrea a luat Bucureştiul de la gruparea Blaga-Videanu" ("Elena Udrea Takes Bucharest from the Blaga-Videanu Group") Archived 2013-11-04 at the Wayback Machine, Jurnalul Naţional, 19 July 2010; accessed July 23, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) Cristina Iana, Alina Vasile, Valentina Deleanu, "Elena Udrea a fost aleasă preşedinte al PDL Bucureşti: 'Eu vreau să scăpăm Bucureştiul de Sorin Oprescu'" ("Elena Udrea Elected President of Bucharest PDL: 'I Want Us to Get Bucharest Rid of Sorin Oprescu'"), Adevărul, 21 November 2010; accessed November 21, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) Romulus Georgescu, "Elena Udrea, demisie cu aluzii la colegi" ("Elena Udrea, Resignation with Allusions to Her Colleagues"), Adevărul, 12 June 2012; accessed June 13, 2012
- ^ (in Romanian) Sorina Ionaşc, "Elena Udrea a demisionat din funcţia de vicepreşedinte PDL. Atacată dur în şedinţă de Vasile Blaga" ("Elena Udrea Resigns PDL Vice-Presidency. Sharply Criticized at Session by Vasile Blaga"), Gândul, 14 June 2012; accessed June 15, 2012
- ^ (in Romanian) Carmen Vintilă, "Cine câștigă la loteria redistribuirii: Blaga, Anastase, Udrea, Boagiu, Stănișoară" ("Who Wins the Redistribution Lottery: Blaga, Anastase, Udrea, Boagiu, Stănișoară"), Evenimentul Zilei, 11 December 2012; accessed December 11, 2012
- ^ (in Romanian) Romulus Georgescu, Sebastian Zachmann, "Vasile Blaga, noul preşedinte al PDL" ("Vasile Blaga, New PDL President"), Adevărul, 23 March 2013; accessed March 23, 2013
- ^ (in Romanian) Sebastian Zachmann, "Elena Udrea a demisionat din PDL şi s-a înscris în PMP" ("Elena Udrea Resigns from PDL and Joins PMP"), Adevărul, 30 January 2014; accessed January 30, 2014
- ^ (in Romanian) Mădălina Mihalache, Sebastian Zachmann, "Elena Udrea a fost aleasă preşedintele PMP" ("Elena Udrea Elected PMP President"), Adevărul, 7 June 2014; accessed June 7, 2014
- ^ (in Romanian) Mădălina Mihalache, "Elena Udrea candidează, oficial, la Preşedinţie" ("Elena Udrea Officially Running for President"), Adevărul, 19 August 2014; accessed 20 August 2014
- ^ (in Romanian) Alina Boghiceanu, "Rezultatele finale ale primului tur al prezidenţialelor" ("Final Results of First-Round Presidential Elections"), Adevărul, 4 November 2014; accessed 4 November 2014
- ^ (in Romanian) Sorina Ionaşc, Loredana Voiculescu, "Pe cine susţine Elena Udrea în turul II" ("Whom Elena Udrea Is Supporting in Round II"), Gândul, 7 November 2014; accessed 7 November 2014
- ^ (in Romanian) "Elena Udrea la DNA" ("Elena Udrea at the DNA"), Adevărul, 30 January 2015; accessed 30 January 2015
- ^ (in Romanian) Alexandra Ciliac, Ionel Stoica, Andrei Stanca, "Elena Udrea a ajuns la Înalta Curte pentru arestarea preventivă" ("Elena Udrea Reaches High Court for Preventive Detention"), Evenimentul Zilei, 11 February 2015; accessed 11 February 2015
- ^ "Chamber of Deputies approves arrest of former tourism minister Elena Udrea". Business Review. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ (in Romanian) Diana Seceleanu, Andrei Aştefănesei, Mihai Stoica, "Elena Udrea și Gala Bute" ("Elena Udrea and the Bute Gala"), Adevărul, 2 February 2015; accessed 3 March 2015
- ^ (in Romanian) Mona Hera, "Elena Udrea, arestată preventiv în dosarul 'Gala Bute'" ("Elena Udrea Arrested in Gala Bute Case"), Mediafax, 25 February 2015; accessed 3 March 2015
- ^ (in Romanian) Iulia Iancu, "Elena Udrea, Remus Cernea și Theodor Paleologu au pierdut alegerile parlamentare" ("Elena Udrea, Remus Cernea and Theodor Paleologu Lose Parliamentary Elections") Archived 2016-12-13 at the Wayback Machine, România liberă, 12 December 2016; accessed 13 December 2016
- ^ (in Romanian) Firuța Flutur, "Elena Udrea, condamnată la șase ani de închisoare cu executare în dosarul 'Gala Bute' pentru luare de mită și abuz în serviciu" ("Elena Udrea, Sentenced to Six Years' Imprisonment in the 'Gala Bute' Case for Bribery and Abuse of Power"), Mediafax, 28 March 2017; accessed 28 March 2017
- ^ (in Romanian) "Elena Udrea: Bătălia, pe viață și pe moarte" ("Elena Udrea: Battle of Life and Death"), Mediafax, 28 March 2017; accessed 13 May 2017
- ^ (in Romanian) Ramona Feraru, "Elena Udrea a atacat, cu apel, decizia de condamnare la 6 ani de închisoare" ("Elena Udrea Appeals Six-Year Prison Sentence"), Evenimenul Zilei, 29 March 2017; accessed 13 May 2017
- ^ (in Romanian) "Elena Udrea a fost condamnată la 6 ani de închisoare" ("Elena Udrea Sentenced to Six Years in Prison"), Digi24, 5 June 2018; accessed 12 June 2018
- ^ (in Romanian) "Justiția română cere extrădarea Elenei Udrea" ("Romanian Justice System Seeks Elena Udrea's Extradition"), Digi24, 6 June 2018; accessed 12 June 2018
- ^ "Agentes detuvieron a dos mujeres extranjeras requeridas por autoridades de Rumania ("Agents Detained Two Foreign Women Wanted by the Romanian Authorities")" (in Spanish). 3 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Elena Udrea and Alina Bica get two months of preventive arrest in Costa Rica. First official Interpol statement: The Romanian Government has two months to finish extradition papers". 4 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ "Elena Udrea and Alina Bica released from Costa Rica jail. Former Tourism Minister attacks President Iohannis". Romania Journal. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Former Romanian minister Elena Udrea's sentence suspended by court". Romania Insider. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Former tourism minister returns to Romania after one year and a half as "refugee" in Costa Rica". Romania Insider. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Elena Udrea: 'Da, m-am întors în România'. De ce nu a intrat în țară pe la Otopeni" (in Romanian). Digi24. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Romania's Constitutional Court says High Court should have set specialized anticorruption panels". Romania Insider. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Penitenciarul de femei Târgșor, unde se află Elena Udrea, anunță că a fost modernizat spațiul în care deținutele își primesc copiii". HotNews (in Romanian). November 16, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "Businessman admits bribe given to former RO minister, to get milder sentence". Romania Insider. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ (in Romanian) Dariana Nițu, Cezara Ionescu, "Elena Udrea și Dorin Cocoș au divorțat" ("Elena Udrea and Dorin Cocoș Divorce") Archived 2013-06-15 at the Wayback Machine, 11 June 2013; accessed June 11, 2013
- ^ (in Romanian) Dan Zăvăleanu, "Elena Udrea se îmbracă cu rochii de 14.310 lire sterline'" ("Elena Udrea Wears Dresses Costing 14,310 Pounds Sterling"), Cotidianul, 16 August 2011; accessed November 3, 2011
- ^ (in Romanian) "Elena Udrea vorbește despre rochia estimată la peste 16.000 de euro: 'Prețul ei e de vreo 20 ori mai mic'" ("Elena Udrea Talks about the Dress Estimated at over 16,000 Euros: 'Its Actual Price Is about 20 Times Smaller'"), Libertatea, 16 August 2011; accessed November 3, 2011
- ^ "Boots and all: Romanian minister dons the rubber". The Age. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
- ^ "Elena Udrea a născut o fetiță, în Costa Rica. Ce nume va purta copilul ("Elena Udrea Gave Birth To A Baby Girl, in Costa Rica. How Will The Child Be Named")" (in Romanian). 20 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
External links
- (in Romanian) Official site
- (in Romanian) Profile at the Romanian Chamber of Deputies site
- (in Romanian) Profile at the Romanian Government site