Nicolae Fleva | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Bucharest | |
| In office January 1884 – April 1886 | |
| Preceded by | M. Török (as Head of Committee) |
| Succeeded by | N. Manolescu |
| Romanian Minister of the Interior | |
| In office October 4, 1895 – January 5, 1896 | |
| Preceded by | Lascăr Catargiu |
| Succeeded by | Dimitrie Sturdza |
| Constituency | Muscel County Putna County Bucharest Prahova County |
| Romanian Minister of Agriculture and Royal Domains | |
| In office April 11, 1899 – June 7, 1900 | |
| Preceded by | Dimitrie Sturdza |
| Succeeded by | Nicolae Filipescu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1840 Râmnicu Sărat |
| Died | August 4, 1920 (aged 79–80) Jideni or Focșani |
| Nationality | Wallachian, Romanian |
| Political party | National Liberal Party Conservative Party Conservative-Democratic Party |
Nicolae Fleva (Romanian pronunciation: [nikoˈla.e ˈfleva]; also known as Nicu Fleva,[1] Francized Nicolas Fléva;[2] 1840 – August 4, 1920) was a Wallachian, later Romanian politician, political journalist and lawyer. Known especially for his involvement in political incidents, and for a stated patriotism bordering on demagogy, he tested all political formulas that Romania's two-party system would allow. His activity in the public sphere brought a decades-long presence in the Assembly of Deputies and a mandate as Mayor of Bucharest between 1884 and 1886.
After beginnings with the National Liberal Party, which he helped establish and represented in court, Fleva came to oppose its monopoly on power. He experimented with creating a third party, negotiated common platforms for the various opposition forces, including the Conservatives and the Junimea society, during contiguous National Liberal administrations. Fleva was notoriously involved in the major scandals of the 1880s, when his ridicule of National Liberal power generated street battles and sparked two separate shooting incidents. At the time, "Flevist" groups were seen as the leading voice of middle class discontent, and formed one of several currents pushing for the adoption of universal male suffrage.
Fleva returned into the National Liberal camp when he was refused a leading role in Conservative cabinets, and, in 1895–1896, was the Internal Affairs Minister. He clashed with the party over a number of issues, returned into opposition, and was later (1899–1900) the Conservative Minister of Agriculture. Involved as both accused and whistleblower in some corruption scandals of the early 20th century, he was sent as Ambassador to Italy, and ended his career with a stint in the Conservative-Democratic Party. During World War I, Fleva brought suspicion on himself as a supporter, and possible agent of influence, of the Central Powers.
- ^ (in Romanian) Correspondent, "Scrisoare din București", in Românul (Arad), Nr. 14/1912, p.4 (digitized by the Babeș-Bolyai University Transsylvanica Online Library)
- ^ (in French) "Convention", in Mémorial du Grand-Duché du Luxembourg. Memorial des Grosherzogtums Luxemburg, Nr. 56/1909, p.856 (digitized by Legilux); Charles I. Bevans (ed.), Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America (1776–1949). I: Multilateral (1776–1917), United States Department of State, Washington, 1968, p.439