Liviu Dragnea | |
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President of the Chamber of Deputies | |
In office 21 December 2016 – 27 May 2019 | |
Preceded by | Florin Iordache (interim) |
Succeeded by | Marcel Ciolacu |
President of the Social Democratic Party | |
In office 12 October 2015 – 27 May 2019 Acting: 22 July 2015 – 12 October 2015 | |
Preceded by | Rovana Plumb (acting) |
Succeeded by | Viorica Dăncilă (acting) |
Deputy Prime Minister of Romania | |
In office 21 December 2012 – 17 December 2014 | |
President | Traian Băsescu |
Prime Minister | Victor Ponta |
Preceded by | Florin Georgescu |
Succeeded by | Daniel Chițoiu |
Minister of Regional Development and Administration | |
In office 21 December 2012 – 15 May 2015 | |
Prime Minister | Victor Ponta |
Preceded by | Eduard Hellvig |
Succeeded by | Sevil Shhaideh |
Minister of Administration and Interior | |
In office 20 January 2009 – 2 February 2009 | |
Prime Minister | Emil Boc |
Preceded by | Dan Nica (interim) |
Succeeded by | Dan Nica |
Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
In office 20 December 2012 – 29 May 2019 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Liviu Nicolae Dragnea 28 October 1962 Gratia, Teleorman, Romania |
Political party | Sovereign Romania Movement Party (since 2023)[1] |
Other political affiliations | Democratic Party (1996–2000) Social Democratic Party (2000–2019) Alliance for the Homeland (2021-2022) |
Spouse |
Bombonica Prodana (div. 2015) |
Domestic partner | Irina Alexandra Tănase |
Alma mater | Carol I National Defence University Ecological University of Bucharest Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest |
Profession | Engineer |
Signature | |
Liviu Nicolae Dragnea (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈlivju nikoˈla.e ˈdraɡne̯a]; born 28 October 1962) is a Romanian engineer and former politician. Starting his career in the Democratic Party (PD), he joined the Social Democratic Party (PSD), eventually becoming its leader. After holding several positions as Minister, he resigned from the cabinet in May 2015, following a conviction in a case involving electoral fraud, for which he received a two-year suspended sentence in April 2016.
In December 2016, following that year's legislative election, he became President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania, but was rumoured by the press to be the de facto Prime Minister of Romania.[2][3][4][5][6] During this period, Romania experienced a strong economic growth,[7][8][9] but his rule was marked by corruption scandals[10] and accusations of authoritarian tendencies,[11][12] as well as a shift towards illiberalism,[5][13][14] which led to the biggest protests in Romania's post-revolutionary history. In May 2019, he was sent to prison for three and a half years, convicted of arranging payment for two party members employed in fake jobs and paid by a state agency. Simultaneously, his term in the Chamber drew to a close. In July 2021, the prison sentence was lifted, ending his jail time 1 year and 4 months earlier.