#2019PresidentialElection: Presentation of candidates

On September 27, 2019, the Central Electoral Bureau took note of the 14 final candidacies and the electoral signs submitted by political parties, electoral alliances, citizens' organizations belonging to national minorities and independent candidates, and on September 28, the following ballot order was established by registration of the candidates: 1. Klaus- Werner Iohannis, 2. Theodor Paleologu, 3. Ilie-Dan Barna, 4. Hunor Kelemen, 5. Vasilica-Viorica Dancila, 6. Catalin-Sorin Ivan, 7. Ninel Peia, 8. Sebastian- Constantin Popescu, 9. John-Ion Banu, 10. Mircea Diaconu, 11. Bogdan-Dragos-Aureliu Marian-Stanoevici, 12. Ramona-Ioana Bruynseels, 13. Viorel Catarama, 14. Alexandru Cumpanasu. 1. President Klaus-Werner Iohannis is running for a second term on behalf of the Liberal National Party (PNL). He is the fourth president of Romania elected after December 1989. He was born on June 13, 1959, in Sibiu, in a family of Transylvanian Saxons, according to www.presidency.ro. Physics teacher at "Samuel von Brukenthal" High School, Deputy General School Inspector (1997-1999) and then General School Inspector in the Sibiu County School Inspectorate (1999-2000). Starting with 1990, he became a member of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR), later being elected president of the organization, of which he was in charge for over a decade. He has held four consecutive mayoral mandates of the city of Sibiu, from the FDGR, being elected in the elections of 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. On February 20, 2013 he registered in the National Liberal Party (PNL). He was mayor of Sibiu until December 2014, when, after winning the presidential elections from December 2, 2014, he became President of Romania. The slogan of his campaign is "For a normal Romania". 2. Theodor Paleologu is a candidate on behalf of the People's Movement Party (PMP). He was born on July 15, 1973, in Bucharest. He attended undergraduate courses and in-depth studies in philosophy at the University of Paris - Sorbonne - UFR de Philosophie (1992-1998) and Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris (1996-2001). He graduated with his political studies Doctorate at the Raymond Aron Center, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris (1998-2001), according to the CV published on www.cdep.ro. He also attended courses at the University of Copenhagen, ECLA Berlin, Deep Springs College, Boston College, and research programs at Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Harvard University, University of Notre Dame, according to biographical data on the official Facebook page. He has taught at the Faculty of Philosophy - "Al. I. Cuza" University of Iasi, the Faculty of Psychology and Social Assistance - "Petre Andrei" University of Iasi and the Summer University of the European College of Liberal Arts in Berlin. He was the ambassador of Romania to Denmark and Iceland, in Copenhagen (2005-2008). He won a deputy seat in Bucharest from the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) on November 30, 2008. He has held the position of Minister of Culture, Religious Affairs and National Heritage (December 2008 - October 2009). He is president of the Paleologu Foundation, which "updates the model of the ancient schools of philosophy and rhetoric", in which he teaches courses, according to his official Facebook page. The slogan of his campaign is "Respect. Education. Performance." 3. Ilie-Dan Barna is the candidate of the USR-PLUS (Save Romania Union - Liberty, Unity and Solidarity Party) Alliance in the presidential elections. He was born on July 10, 1975. He has a degree in Law from the University of Bucharest (1998) and has completed Master's Degree courses in Project Management within the Polytechnic University of Bucharest (2003), according to the CV published on www.fonduri-ue.en. He attended training courses in the field of structural funds at the National Institute of Administration - MAI; Institut für Europäische Politik and InWent Germany (2005-2006) and the Development Consultancy Group (2009, 2013), obtaining the certifications of international instructor, project manager, trainer, expert in accessing structural and cohesion funds. He has held the positions of legal aid program coordinator - INFOTIN (1996-1999), Vice President / National President of ELSA (European Law Students Association) Romania (1996 -1999; 1999 -2001), course coordinator - International Development Law Organization, Rome (2000), legal advisor at Bertagna Gruia Dufaut Gruia SRL, Bucharest (2000-2001), Secretary General / Trainer at the Romanian Association for Development Law - IDLO Alumni (since 2001), expert within Transparency International Romania (2003-2004) , trainer and consultant at the Romanian Training Institute (2003-2007), technical and financial consultant at Save the Children Romania (2004-2008), senior PHARE expert (2001-2007) and national coordinator of the "Fondul Europa" information campaigns (2005) -2007) at the Delegation of the European Commission in Bucharest, expert within the team implementing the project ''Quality in health through the training of family physicians'', financed by POSDRU (Human Resources Development Sectoral Operational Program) (2009-2012), managing partner / trainer and consultant at European Consultants Organisation, Brussels (2007-2016), secretary of state with the Ministry of European Funds (May - September 2016). He was elected deputy in the Sibiu constituency, by the Save Romania Union (USR), in the 2016 elections. He was elected chairman of the USR on October 28, 2017. The slogan of his campaign is "Happy in Romania". 4. Hunor Kelemen is running on the part of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR - RMDSZ) for the third time (2009, 2014). He was born on October 18, 1967, in Carta, Harghita County. He graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Agricultural Sciences of Cluj-Napoca (1993) and from the Faculty of Philosophy of the Babes-Bolyai University (1998), according to www.cdep.ro. He was an editor for Radio Cluj, the Hungarian language broadcast (1990-1997) and editor for the Korunk cultural magazine (1993-1997). He became a member of the UDMR in 1997 and was chairman of the Coordination Council of the UDMR (1999-2007), executive chair (2007-2011), and since 2011 he is the chairman of the party. He was a State Secretary with the Culture Ministry (1997-2000), Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2009-2012), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage (March-October 2014). He is a UDMR deputy since 2000 (the 2000-2004, 2004-2008, 2008-2012, 2012-2016 legislatures and the current one started in 2016), being elected in the Harghita electoral circumscription. He is a founding member and is part of the Board of Directors of the Kos Karoli Akademia Foundation, according to the statement of interests published by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC). Between 2003-2014, he was chairman of the Foundation for School (Iskola Alapitvány). He published two poetry books: "Minuszévek", "A Szigetlakó" (1995, 2001) and a novel: "A Madárijesztők Halála" (1999). He was awarded with the Writers' Union Prize (1995) and he is granted the Order of the Star of Romania in the rank of Commador (2000), according to www.udmr.ro. The slogan of his campaign is "Respekt for all". 5. Vasilica-Viorica Dancila is the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). She was born on December 16, 1963, in Rosiorii de Vede, Teleorman County. She graduated from the Faculty of Oil Rig Drilling and the Exploitation of Hydrocarbon Deposits of the Institute of Petroleum and Gas in Ploiesti (1988) and has a Master's Degree in European Public Space from the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA, 2016). She specialized in project management and programming, the bases of oil economy, and legislative harmonization - European integration at the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Foundation, according to www.gov.ro. She was a teacher at the Videle High School (1989-1997). an engineer with OMV Petrom SA (1988-2009). She is a member of the PSD since 1996 and has held the following positions: chair of the PSD Women's Organization in Videle (2000-2003), local councilor in Videle (2004-2008), county councilor in Teleorman (2008-2009), chair of the PSD Videle organization (2003-2011), chair of the PSD Teleorman County Women's Organization and deputy chair of the PSD Teleorman County organization (2005-2014), deputy chair (2010-2014) and chair of the National Women's Organization of the PSD (2015-2018), executive chair of the PSD (2018-2019) and chair of the PSD (since June 2019). In January 2009, she became a MEP, following changes in the team that was representing Romania in Brussels. She was elected a MEP on the PSD+PC lists during the June 2009 elections, and in the 2014 elections obtained a new MEP mandate, on the lists of the PSD+UNPR+PC Electoral Alliance. She was leader of the delegation of Romanian MEPs in the S&D Group - Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (2014-2018). In January 2018, she was proposed by the PSD for the position of Prime Minister and designated for this position by President Klaus Iohannis. The slogan of her campaign is "We fight for each Romanian!" 6. Catalin-Sorin Ivan is the candidate of the political project dubbed the Alternative for National Dignity - ADN. He was born on December 23, 1978 in Galati. He is a graduate from the Faculty of Economy and Business Administration, the Al. I. Cuza University of Iasi (2003), he received a Master's Degree in International Affairs - Al. I. Cuza University (2006), according to his LinkedIn profile. In 2009, he was elected a MEP on the PSD+PC lists and was active within the S&D Group, and in 2014, was re-elected for a new mandate, on the lists of the PSD+UNPR+PC Electoral Alliance. In 2018, he resigned from the political party he was part of and became a unaffiliated MEP, according to www.europarl.europa.eu. He is a founding member and chair of the Association "RoAction Initiative for Development" and founder of ADN - Alternative for National Dignity, formation founded in October 2018. He ran in the European Parliament elections of 2019 on the PRODEMO list. The slogan of his campaign is "President for Romanians". 7. Ninel Peia is the candidate of the Romanian People Party. He was born on October 7, 1969, in Brastavatu, Olt County. He is a Law School graduate, has received several Masters' Degrees in Internal and International Environmental Law (2004-2005), Environment Management and Economy (2005-2007) and Public Administration and Community Acquis (2006-2007), according to the resume posted to www.cdep.ro. He has also taken courses at the Carol I Military Academy - National Defence, National and International Security College (2008), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - the Romanian Diplomatic Institute (2009-2010), the Alexandru Ioan Cuza Police Academy, the National College of Internal Affairs (2001). He held the positions of personal adviser to Environment Minister Speranta Ianculescu (2004), personal adviser of the State Secretary for Environment Constantin Popescu (2005), personal adviser of State Minister Bogdan Pascu (2006), local councilor of the town of Voluntari (2008), executive director of the Ilfov County Environmental Protection Agency (2009-2012). He was a Social Democratic Party (PSD) deputy for the Ilfov electoral circumscription in the 2012-2016 legislature. Since February 2018, he is chair of the Romanian People Party. The slogan of his campaign is "A Romanian for Romania!" 8. Sebastian-Constantin Popescu is the candidate of the New Romania Party. He was born on February 12, 1982, in Bals, Olt County. He graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Banat, in Timisoara (2006), according to the www.partidulnouaromanie.ro website. He is a founder and chair of the New Romania Party. He was a veterinarian for five years in Bucharest, before moving to media. He is a coordinator of several news websites, through the Exclusiv News company. He ran in the parliamentary elections of 2016 and the European Parliament elections of 2019 on the lists of the New Romania Party. The slogan of his campaign is "For a new Romania". 9. John-Ion Banu is running on behalf of the Romanian Nation Party. He was born in 1960 in Roman, but grew up in Campulung Muscel, shows the biographical data posted on his personal Facebook page. He graduated from the Bucharest Polytechnic Institute and emigrated to the US in 1983, where he attended Florida Atlantic University. He was president of the Romanian-American League (RAL) - Florida, according to the organization's website. According to his declaration of interest, Banu owns the Florida-based company Ocean Test. He is a founding member and chairman of the Romanian Nation Party, launched in April 2019. His campaign slogan is: "Choose the Truth". 10. Mircea Diaconu represents the 'UN OM' Alliance in the presidential election. He was born December 24, 1949 in the commune Vladesti - Arges County, according to the website mirceadiaconu.ro. He graduated from the 'Ion Luca Caragiale' Theatrical and Cinematographic Art Institute in Bucharest (1971). He made his theatrical debut in Truman Capote's 'The Grass Harp' (1970), on the stage of the Bucharest Bulandra Theater. He booked his first movie role in 1971, in the 'Stone Wedding' directed by Dan Pita, a film based on a short story by Ion Agarbiceanu. Diaconu was an actor at the Bulandra and Nottara theaters (1972 - 1982); assistant professor of acting at the 'Ion Luca Caragiale' Theatrical and Cinematographic Art Institute (1977 - 1978), professor at the same institute renamed the 'Ion Luca Caragiale' Theatrical and Cinematographic Art National University (1990 - 1996). In 1977 he made his literary debut with the volume 'Sugubina' (which won the Writers' Union award), followed by 'La noi cand vine iarna/When winter comes to our realms' (1980) and the essay 'Scaunul de pânza al actorului/The actor's canvas chair' (1985). After 1989 he became a freelancer. He was a founding member of the Civic Alliance, created on November 7, 1990. In 1994 he set up the 'D-ale Bucurestilor/Bucharest Specifics' Foundation, which organized the "Bucharest in the Early 1900s Carnival". At the November 2008 parliamentary election he won a seat of senator on the list of the National Liberal Party (PNL), running in the Campulung - Curtea de Arges uninominal college. He served as Minister of Culture (May - June 2012) in the Cabinet led by Victor Ponta. In March 2014 he resigned from PNL, where he was serving as Vice-Chairman, and decided to run as an independent in the election for the European Parliament. He won the MEP mandate and was a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and Vice-President of the European Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education (2014 - 2019), according to www.europarl.europa.eu. Diaconu's campaign slogan is: "In good faith". 11. Bogdan-Dragos-Aureliu Marian-Stanoevici runs as independent. He was born on January 22, 1958 in Bucharest. He graduated from the 'Ion Luca Caragiale' Theatrical and Cinematographic Art Institute in Bucharest (1982), according to the website bogdanstanoevici.ro. He was cast in various film and theater leading roles and was one of the well-known members of the SONG student group (1979 - 1989). His movie debut was in "Eu, tu, şi... Ovidiu/Me, you, and ... Ovidiu" (1978), directed by Geo Saizescu. In May 1989 he settled by marriage in France, where he played in films such as: 'La Ferme' (2001), 'Quicksand' by John Makenzie (2001), 'Toronto RV' by Andra Nicols (2004), 'Tertium non datur' by Lucian Pintilie (2005). He had appearances in television shows and played in French theaters. In February 2011 he returned to Romania, on the occasion of the premiere of the Israeli-Franco-Romanian film 'The Human Resources Manager', directed by Eran Riklis. He served as Minister for the Romanians everywhere (March - December 2014) in the government headed by Victor Ponta. He is the director of the 'Globus' Metropolitan Circus in Bucharest (since 2017). The slogan of his campaign is: "Romania back home". 12. Ramona-Ioana Bruynseels represents the Party of Humanist Power (Social Democrat) in the presidential race. Born in 1980, in Cluj, she is a graduate of the Law Faculty of the 'Dimitrie Cantemir' Christian University in Cluj-Napoca (2002); Bruynseels pursued master's courses at the same institution (2005), according to the CV published on http://gov.ro. She also attended courses at the National Defense College - Academy of High Military Studies (2005), HEC Montreal University & BCR University - Executive Development Program (2007-2008), the John F Kennedy School of Government - Harvard University (2014 - 2015). She has held the following positions: legal advisor of the 4th Territorial Army Corps of Transylvania (2002-2003), university instructor at the 'Dimitrie Cantemir' University (2003 - 2005), corporate/retail relations manager at Banca Comerciala Romana (2005 - 2007), head of the BCR Community Affairs Department and advisor to the BCR executive president (2009-2011), office head - BCR executive president (2011 - 2013), executive director of the Repatriot Organization (2016), facilitator and founder of Boston Business Consult (2016 - 2017), state advisor (July - November 2017) and Secretary of state with the government's Secretariat general (November 2017 - February 2018), state advisor to Prime Minister Viorica Dancila (December 2018 - May 2019). Her campaign slogan is: "New election, new future, new Romania". 13. Viorel Catarama is running for President on behalf of the Liberal Right. He was born in 1955, in Bacau. He graduated from the Faculty of Commerce of the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (1980). He earned his doctor's degree in economics at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest - Department of International Economic Relations (2004), according to the biographical data published on his official Facebook page. Catarama worked as an economist at Tehnoforestexport, and in 1987 he was appointed director for Eastern Europe of BELCO - Belgium at Romania's Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Since 1990 he is the president and general manager of the Elvila group of companies. In 1990 he became a member of the Steering Committee of the National Liberal Party - Young Wing, and in 1991 he was appointed Secretary of state at the Ministry of Trade and Tourism, in the government led by Petre Roman. He was PNL Deputy Chairman (1993 - 1999). He served as Bacau Liberal senator in the 1996 - 2000 legislature. President of the Romanian Tennis Federation (1992 - 1996). He is one of the founding members of the Liberal Dialogue Group, which he also chairs. Since 2013 Catarama is part of the management of the Romanian Investors Council. In 1994 he was appointed President of the Bucharest Branch of the National Council of Small and Medium-sized Private Enterprises. He is Chairman and founder of the Liberal Right Party, according to the party's website. The slogan of Catarama's campaign is: "You work and earn a Right Romania". 14. Alexandru Cumpanasu is running for President as an independent. He was born on March 29, 1981 in Caracal - Olt County. He holds the qualification of assistant analyst programmer. Shortly after graduating from high school he became a member of the Romanian delegation in the German Government's program on the European security and common defense policy, according to the biographical data on the page www.facebook.com/presedintecnmr. He has a specialization in leadership from the OUS Royal Academy of Economics and Technology in Switzerland. Cumpanasu has also completed the internship program of the National Democratic Institute - US Department of State and the Program for leaders of the UK Embassy in Bucharest. In October 2015 he was appointed president of the National Coalition for Romania's Modernization (CNMR), according to the Facebook page of the organization. According to his declaration of interest released by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), he serves as president of the Association for the Implementation of Democracy, general secretary of the Association for Good Governance and vice-president of the Foundation of the National Defense College. His campaign slogan is: "Either us or them!" AGERPRES (RO - documenting research: Roxana Mihordescu, editor: Ruxandra Bratu; EN - authors: Simona Iacob, Razvan-Adrian Pandea, Simona Klodnischi, editors: Simona Iacob, Maria Voican)