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Traian BasescuPresident of Romania
Date of Birth: 04.11.1951
Country:  Romania |
Content:
Biography of Traian Basescu
Traian Basescu, the President of Romania, is a Romanian politician and former captain of a merchant vessel. He was born on November 4, 1951, in Murfatlar, a village (later a small town) near the port city of Constanta, the largest Romanian port on the Black Sea. His father was an officer. He has a younger brother, Mirea, and two half-sisters, Ioana and Elena (from his father's first marriage).
Early Career
In 1976, Basescu graduated from the Naval Academy in Constanta and became a seafarer in "Navrom," a Romanian state-owned shipping company. From 1981 to 1987, he served as a captain on Romanian commercial ships. In 1984, he captained the oil tanker "Biruinta," the largest vessel in the Romanian commercial fleet at the time. In 1989, Traian went to Belgium to head the "Navrom Agency" in Antwerp.
Political Career and Presidency
In 1989, Basescu became a member of the Communist Party. After the fall of communism, he claimed that he joined the party to advance his career in the merchant fleet. In April 1991, he became the Minister of Transport and served in this position until 1992 when a split occurred within the party.
In 1992, Traian was elected to the lower house of the Romanian Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies. He was re-elected for the term from 1996 to 2000. From November 1996 to June 2000, Basescu served as the Minister of Transport. In 2001, he was elected the leader of the Democratic Party, defeating Petre Basescu.
In 2000, Traian Basescu won the mayoral elections in Bucharest. As mayor, he took measures to reduce the number of stray dogs in the city, as there were numerous cases of dog attacks on humans. Basescu also modernized the city's water supply and lighting systems, as well as the public transportation system.
In 2004, Basescu won the presidential elections. He was a strong supporter of Romania's integration into the European Union. In 2005, Traian proposed a plan to unite Romania and Moldova before Romania's expected EU accession. However, this plan did not receive support from the Moldovan leadership.
On May 19, 2007, a referendum was held on the issue of President Basescu's dismissal. The majority of voters expressed their support for Traian Basescu to continue his duties as the President of Romania. Basescu became the first president in Romania's history to be officially temporarily suspended from office.
