Victor Ciorbea
OfficePrime Minister of Romania
PresidentEmil Constantinescu
Term start12 December 1996
Term end30 March 1998
PredecessorNicolae Văcăroiu
SuccessorGavril Dejeu (interim)
Radu Vasile
Office 1Ombudsman
Term start 18 April 2014
Term end 126 June 2019
Successor 1Renate Weber
Office 2Member of the Senate of Romania
Term start 219 December 2012
Term end 28 April 2014
Office 3General Mayor of Bucharest
Term start 319 June 1996
Term end 312 December 1996
Predecessor 3Crin Halaicu
Successor 3Viorel Lis (interim)
Office 4Leader of the Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party
Term start 42002
Term end 42004
Predecessor 4Andrei Marga
Successor 4Gheorghe Ciuhandu
Birth date26 October 1954 (age 72)
Birth placePonor, Romanian People's Republic
PartyNone
Other partyChristian Democratic National Peasants' Party (1989–2012)
National Liberal Party (2012–2014)
ProfessionJurist
Alma materBabeș-Bolyai University
University of Bucharest
Case Western Reserve University

Victor Ciorbea[a] (born 26 October 1954) is a Romanian jurist, politician, and civil/public servant. He was the Mayor of Bucharest between 1996 and 1997 and, after his resignation from this public dignity/position, Prime Minister of Romania from 12 December 1996 to 30 March 1998. He had also served as the Ombudsman between 2014 and 2019.

Biography

Born in Ponor, Alba County on 26 October 1954, Ciorbea trained as a jurist, graduating from Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca in 1979.[1] He worked for the municipal tribunal in Bucharest, as well as lecturing in Law at the University of Bucharest. He was awarded a doctorate in Law by the University of Bucharest, and later specialized in management at Case Western Reserve University in the United States (1992).

Originally a trade unionist (between 1990 and 1996, he was leader of the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education, FSLI, and, between 1990 and 1993, leader of the nationwide National Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Romania – Brotherhood) and member of the National Peasants' Party (PNȚ-CD). He was backed for the premiership by the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) after the elections of 1996. Ciorbea enforced several measures in order to advance Romania's transition toward a market economy, including an austerity budget, following a program known as Contractul cu România ("Contract with Romania").

He resigned following a conflict with PNȚ-CD leader Ion Diaconescu, moving on to found the minor Alianța Natională Creștin Democrată (the National Christian Democratic Alliance, ANCD), which merged back into the PNȚ-CD after the latter lost the 2000 elections, and soon after became leader of the reunited party.

Faced with the task of regaining voter confidence, Ciorbea resigned his party office in 2004, in favour of Gheorghe Ciuhandu, the Mayor of Timișoara. Following the latter's nomination, the party became the Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (PNȚ-CD).

In 2012, as a member of National Liberal Party (PNL), he was elected as senator. In April 2014, without the support of his own party colleagues, but with the help of the ruling PSD, he became Ombudsman.

Honours

National honours

Electoral history

Mayor of Bucharest

ElectionAffiliationFirst roundSecond round
VotesPercentagePositionVotesPercentagePosition
1996

References

  1. ^ ˈviktor ˈtʃjorbe̯a
  1. ^ Roszkowski, Wojciech & Kofman, Jan (2016). Biographical Dictionary of Central and Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century. New York: Routledge. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-31747-594-1.
  2. ^ "Decorația Regala Nihil Sine Deo". www.familiaregala.ro. Archived from the original on 2015-05-06.
  3. ^ "DOCUMENTAR: Victor Ciorbea, Avocat al Poporului, împlineşte 60 de ani"
  4. ^ "Victor Ciorbea şi Ilie Năstase, printre personalităţile decorate joi de Regele Mihai"

See also