Victor Babiuc

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Babiuc in 1999

Victor Babiuc (Romanian pronunciation:

Minister of National Defense
from 1996 to 2000.

Biography

Legal career and entry into politics

Born in Răchiți, Botoșani County, into a family of teachers, he graduated from the Law Faculty of the University of Bucharest in 1958, earning his doctorate there in 1979.[1] From 1958 to 1963, Babiuc was a consulting arbitrator at the Brașov Arbitration Court. From 1963 to 1965 and from 1966 to 1968, he was legal adviser at a Brașov tractor factory. In the interim, he was a judge at the city's courthouse. From 1968 to 1971, he was a consulting and then counselling arbitrator at the central arbitration court in Bucharest. From 1971 to 1977, he was legal adviser at the Foreign Trade Ministry, rising to chief legal adviser during that period. From 1977 to 1990, he was a research associate at the Romanian Academy's Institute of World Economy. From 1980 to 1987, he was associate professor at the Ștefan Gheorghiu Academy and the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. From 1985 to 1989, he was a temporary adviser to the Legislative Council. He is the author of over 150 published works.[2] Babiuc was never a member of the ruling Romanian Communist Party.[3]

Entering politics after the

1992, where he was on the defense, public order and national security committee (1992), and president of the committee for investigating abuses, corruption and for petitions (1992–1996).[7] In 1995 he rose to vice president of the PD.[2]

As Defense Minister and subsequently

Again elected in

NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Despite widespread domestic criticism, Parliament approved NATO's demand for unlimited use of Romanian airspace, with Babiuc asserting Romania's determination "to be alongside and together with NATO".[16]

The period also coincided with a renewed effort to bring to justice those who had fired on unarmed civilians during the Revolution. On the one hand, Babiuc encouraged the 1997 opening of army files relating to the event, saying it would free them from the stigma of suspicion and that investigations should proceed unhampered. On the other hand, following the 1999 conviction of Generals Victor Stănculescu and Mihai Chițac for ordering shooting while repressing the uprising in Timișoara, he stressed that the two personally "did not harm anybody" and "played a decisive role" in turning the army to the side of the Revolution. This was characteristic of the PD's attempts to find extenuating circumstances and prevent justice from taking its course.[17][18]

When he left the PD in early 2000, he also resigned from his ministerial post, and sat in the Chamber as an independent until the end of the year.

2000. He sat as a PNL member until April 2002, then as an independent until January 2003, when he returned to the PD. He was on the human rights, religious affairs, and national minorities committee.[19] In 2008, prosecutors from the National Anticorruption Directorate opened a criminal case against Babiuc, charging him with bribery and abuse of office for a 1999 sale of land in Pipera at well below the market rate from the Defense Ministry to businessman Gigi Becali.[20][21] In May 2013, the High Court of Cassation and Justice convicted Babiuc, Becali, and Dumitru Cioflină [ro] in the case, with Babiuc sentenced to two years' imprisonment at the maximum-security Rahova Prison.[22] Following a court ruling, he was freed in February 2014.[23]

Babiuc was married and had one child.[2] Having spent his final years outside of public life, he died in February 2023, aged 84.[24][25]


See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b (in Romanian) Constantin Gheorghe and Miliana Șerbu, Miniștrii de interne (1862–2007) – mică enciclopedie, p.351-53. Editura Ministerului Internelor și Reformei Administrative, Bucharest, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e (in Romanian) Profile at the Romanian Chamber of Deputies site; accessed 24 August 2010
  3. ^ Gallagher, p.374
  4. ^ (in Romanian) 1996-2000 parliamentary profile; accessed 23 August 2010
  5. ^ (in Romanian) Petre Roman Government; accessed 24 August 2010
  6. ^ (in Romanian) Theodor Stolojan Government; accessed 24 August 2010
  7. ^ (in Romanian) 1992-1996 parliamentary profile; accessed 24 August 2010
  8. ^ a b (in Romanian) 1996-2000 parliamentary profile; accessed 24 August 2010
  9. ^ (in Romanian) Victor Ciorbea Government Archived 19 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine; accessed 24 August 2010
  10. ^ (in Romanian) Radu Vasile Government; accessed 24 August 2010
  11. ^ a b (in Romanian) Mugur Isărescu Government; accessed 24 August 2010
  12. ISBN 0-521-82169-X
  13. ^ Carey p.23
  14. ^ Larry Watts, "Civil-Military Relations: Continuity or Exceptionalism?", in Carey, p.527
  15. ^ Gallagher, p.212
  16. ^ Gallagher, p.213-15
  17. ^ Gallagher, p.190
  18. ISBN 0-333-79187-8
  19. ^ (in Romanian) 2000-2004 parliamentary profile; accessed 24 August 2010
  20. ^ (in Romanian) Mariana Bechir, Dorin Petrișor, "Victor Babiuc e la mîna fostului său coleg Traian Băsescu" ("Victor Babiuc Is at the Mercy of His Former Colleague Traian Băsescu") Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Cotidianul, 19 September 2007; accessed 24 August 2010
  21. România Liberă
    , 17 January 2008; accessed 24 August 2010
  22. ^ (in Romanian) Alina Brebenel, Mihaela Cojocariu, Mara Răducanu, and Andrei Militaru, "Verdict în dosarul 'Schimbul de terenuri'. Gigi Becali, Dumitru Cioflină și Victor Babiuc au ajuns după gratii" ("Verdict in 'Change of Land Parcels' Case. Gigi Becali, Dumitru Cioflină and Victor Babiuc behind Bars"), Adevărul, 20 May 2013; accessed 21 May 2013
  23. ^ (in Romanian) Ionuț Dima, "Victor Babiuc a fost eliberat din închisoare" ("Victor Babiuc Freed from Prison"), Adevărul, 28 February 2014; accessed 28 February 2014
  24. ^ "A murit Victor Babiuc. Fostul ministru al apărării și al justiției în guvernarea CDR avea 84 de ani". Digi24. 26 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  25. ^ "Victor Babiuc a murit. Fostul ministru al Apărării avea 84 de ani". Libertatea. 26 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.

References

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