Catalin Marian Predoiu, picked to head Justice Ministry (bio)

Prime Minister-designate Ludovic Orban announced on 24 October 2019 the composition of the Cabinet he will submit to Parliament vote. Catalin Marian Predoiu was picked for the Justice Minister office. National Liberal Party (PNL) deputy Catalin Marian Predoiu was born on 27 August 1968 in Buzau, according to www.cdep.ro. He is a graduate of the Law Faculty of the University of Bucharest (1991), he subsequently enrolled in a training programme in the practice of commercial law at the Bar in Caen, France (1994) and obtained the PhD scientific title (2003) in Commercial Law, "summa cum laude", at the Faculty of Law within the University of Bucharest, according to the official page www.predoiu.ro. He is a member of the Bucharest Bar (since 1991). He was a professor with the Law Faculty, the University of Bucharest (1994-2007). He led, as a coordinator associate, two law firms, namely "Racoti Predoiu" (1995-2006) and "Zamfirescu Racoti Predoiu" (2007), launched as of 1995 together with his associates at that time. Currently, he is a founding member of Stoian Predoiu law firm. He is the founder of the Entrepreneurs for Development Association, according to www.predoiu.ro. Regarding the political activity, Catalin Predoiu joined the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) on 5 July 2013. The next day, the National Coordination Council of the PDL validated him as first deputy-chair. On 26 July 2014, the PNL Extraordinary Congress voted the merger protocol with the PDL, the statute and political programme of the new party and the protocol of the electoral alliance - the Liberal Christian Alliance (ACL). Since October 2014, when the PDL merger with the National Liberal Party was cleared by the Bucharest Tribunal, Catalin Predoiu became first deputy-chairman of the PNL. He was chairman of PNL Bucharest (2015-2016). In the context of the presidential elections of 2014, the joint PNL-PDL National Political Bureau (BNP) decided to designate Catalin Predoiu as Prime Minister of the Liberal Christian Alliance, with Klaus Iohannis as the candidate running for president. On 18 May 2016, he officially launched his candidacy for the Bucharest City Hall. In the parliamentary elections of 30 November 2008, Catalin Predoiu ran on behalf of the PNL for a deputy position in College 5 of Buzau county. He was voted by 28.9 percent of voters, ranking 2nd after the Social Democratic Party (PSD) candidate. Since 21 December 2016, Catalin Predoiu has been a deputy, elected in Constituency No. 12 Calarasi. He was the Vice President of the Standing Bureau (Dec. 2016 - Feb. 2017; Feb.-Sept. 2017), according to www.cdep.ro. He is a member of the Legal Matters, Discipline and Immunities Committee and the Joint Special Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate for the systematization, unification and assurance of legislative stability in the area of justice. He was a member of Romania's Parliament Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (until April 2017). He was Justice Minister in the Calin Popescu-Tariceanu Government (Feb. - Nov. 2008); in the Cabinet led by Emil Boc (Dec. 2008 - Oct. 2009); interim Justice Minister after the Boc Government was toppled through the adoption of a censure motion by Parliament (October 2009) and interim Foreign Affairs Minister (Oct. 2009); Justice Minister in the Boc IV Cabinet (23 Dec. 2009 - 6 Feb. 2012); Justice Minister in the Ungureanu Government (9 Feb. 2012 - 7 May 2012). On 6 February 2012, he was appointed, under presidential decree, as interim Prime Minister of the Government of Romania, to fulfill the duties of resigning Prime Minister Emil Boc until the formation of the new Government. He has published numerous studies and specialised works, articles of political opinion, among which: "Lending operations within a group of companies" (Bucharest, 1996); "Commercial companies" (first edition, Bucharest, 2001, co-author); "Banks in the context of anti-crime legislation. Special legal obligations" (Bucharest, 2003); "Commercial career of civil societies" in the Romanian Magazine of Business Law, Supplement 1/2007, co-author; "The law of commercial companies - Commentary on articles (authors St. Carpenaru, S. David, C. Predoiu, Gh. Piperea, 4th edition, Bucharest, 2009, C.H. Beck Publishing House); "Powers of Justice and Justice of Power - speeches, interviews, analyzes, pamphlets" (Bucharest, 2018, Tritonic Publishing House). He was bestowed the "I.L. Georgescu" award by the Union of Jurists of Romania and the "Simion Barnutiu" award of the Romanian Academy. AGERPRES (RO - author: Irina Andreea Cristea, editor: Cristian Anghelache; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)