Presidential Elections in Romania. First round candidates

Candidates in the firsts round of the presidential elections in Romania:

1. current President Klaus Iohannis (National Liberal Party PNL),

2. Theodor Paleologu (People’s Movement Party PMP),

3. Ilie-Dan Barna (Save Romania Union - Liberty, Unity and Solidarity Party USR-PLUS Alliance),

4. Hunor Kelemen (Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania UDMR - RMDSZ),

5. Vasilica-Viorica Dăncilă (Social Democratic Party - PSD),

6. Cătălin-Sorin Ivan (Alternative for National Dignity – AND),

7. Ninel Peia (Romanian People Party),

8. Sebastian-Constantin Popescu (New Romania Party),

9. John-Ion Banu (Romanian Nation Party),

10. Mircea Diaconu ('UN OM' Alliance)

11. Bogdan-Dragoș-Aureliu Marian-Stanoevici (independent)

12. Ramona-Ioana Bruynseels (Party of Humanist Power - Social Democrat)

13. Viorel Cataramă (Liberal Right)

14. Alexandru Cumpănașu (independent).

Klaus-Werner Iohannis: 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), General School Inspector in the Sibiu County School Inspectorate (1999-2000), 1990 - 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. Slogan of his campaign: "For a normal Romania".

Theodor Paleologu: 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 political studies Doctorate at the Raymond Aron Center, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris (1998-2001), according to 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 Faculty of Philosophy - "Al. I. Cuza" University of Iași, Faculty of Psychology and Social Assistance - "Petre Andrei" University of Iași and Summer University of the European College of Liberal Arts in Berlin. He was 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", and where he teaches courses, according to his official Facebook page. Slogan of his campaign is "Respect. Education. Performance".

Ilie-Dan Barna: 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 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), earning 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 project ''Quality in health through training family physicians'', financed by POSDRU (Human Resources Development Sectoral Operational Program) (2009-2012), managing partner / trainer and consultant at European Consultants Organization, 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. Slogan of his campaign is "Happy in Romania".

Hunor Kelemen: 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, 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 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 Commandor (2000), according to www.udmr.ro. Slogan of his campaign is "Respekt for all".

Vasilica-Viorica Dăncilă: born on December 16, 1963, in Roșiorii de Vede, Teleorman County, she graduated from the Faculty of Oil Rig Drilling and Exploitation of Hydrocarbon Deposits of the Institute of Petroleum and Gas in Ploiești (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, 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), and engineer within 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 Member of the European Parliament (MEP), following changes in the team that was representing Romania in Brussels. She was elected MEP on the PSD+PC lists during the June 2009 elections, and in the 2014 elections she won 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. Slogan of her campaign is "We fight for each Romanian!"

Cătălin-Sorin Ivan: born on December 23, 1978 in Galați, he is a graduate from the Faculty of Economy and Business Administration, Al. I. Cuza University of Iași (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 he 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. Slogan of his campaign is "President for Romanians".

Ninel Peia: born on October 7, 1969, in Brastavatu, Olt County, he is a Law School graduate and 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 his resume posted on www.cdep.ro. He has also taken courses at the Carol I Military Academy - National Defense, National and International Security College (2008), Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Romanian Diplomatic Institute (2009-2010), Alexandru Ioan Cuza Police Academy, 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. Slogan of his campaign is "A Romanian for Romania!"

Sebastian-Constantin Popescu: 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 www.partidulnouaromanie.ro. 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. Slogan of his campaign is "For a new Romania".

John-Ion Banu: born in 1960 in Roman, he grew up in Câmpulung Muscel, according to 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 organization's website. In his declaration of interest, Banu states he owns the Florida-based company Ocean Test. He is a founding member and chairman of the Romanian Nation Party, launched in April 2019. Slogan of his campaign is: "Choose the Truth".

Mircea Diaconu: born on December 24, 1949 in Vlădești - Argeș County, according to mirceadiaconu.ro. He graduated 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 Câmpulung - Curtea de Argeș 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".

Bogdan-Dragos-Aureliu Marian-Stanoevici: born on January 22, 1958 in Bucharest, he graduated from the 'Ion Luca Caragiale' Theatrical and Cinematographic Art Institute in Bucharest (1982), according to 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). Slogan of his campaign is: "Romania back home".

Ramona-Ioana Bruynseels: 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 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 Comercială Română (2005 - 2007), head of BCR Community Affairs Department and advisor to BCR executive president (2009-2011), office head - BCR executive president (2011 - 2013), executive director of 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 General Secretariat (November 2017 - February 2018), state advisor to Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă (December 2018 - May 2019). Slogan of her campaign is: "New election, new future, new Romania".

Viorel Cataramă : born in 1955, in Bacău, he graduated Faculty of Commerce of 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 biographical data published on his official Facebook page. Cataramă 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 Bacău 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, Cataramă 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 party website. Slogan of Cataramă's campaign is: "You work and earn a Right Romania".

Alexandru Cumpănașu: born on March 29, 1981 in Caracal - Olt County, he is an 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 biographical data on www.facebook.com/presedintecnmr. He has a specialization in leadership from the OUS Royal Academy of Economics and Technology in Switzerland. Cumpănașu 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 organization Facebook page. In his declaration of interest released by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), he states that he serves as president of the Association for Implementation of Democracy, general secretary of Association for Good Governance and vice-president of Foundation of the National Defense College. His campaign slogan is: "Either us or them!"

(AGERPRES)