Romanian Defense Minister resigns Following Resume Fabrication Revelations
Ionut Mosteanu, Romania’s Minister of Defense, resigned on Friday amid a scandal surrounding inaccuracies in his professional resume. The resignation came after media reports revealed discrepancies regarding his university qualifications and military service record.
The controversy began with reports questioning a university degree listed on Mosteanu’s CV, which he admitted on Thursday was based on a downloaded model and did not accurately reflect his education. He subsequently presented another university diploma in an attempt to demonstrate the required qualifications for his government position.
Further investigation by the newspaper Libertatea revealed that in 2016, when first appointed to a position at the Ministry of Transport, Mosteanu claimed to hold a diploma from Atheneum private university – a claim the institution denied. He later acknowledged possessing a diploma from Bioterra University, earned in 2015, despite attending the institution between 1995 and 1999.
Mosteanu, appointed to the Ministry of Defense in June and a 1992 graduate, had previously explained his lack of completed military service by stating he had interrupted his studies multiple times to work, and that a degree wasn’t crucial in the private sector. He also noted that mandatory military service was abolished in 2007 by the time he completed his education.
The opposition party,the Association for the Unification of Romanians (AUR),called for Mosteanu’s immediate dismissal,accusing him of securing well-paid public positions for ten years based on “fictitious majors,based on incomplete university studies,falsifying his professional resume according to his current interests.”
Prime Minister Ilia Bolojan, in a televised interview on Thursday evening, initially stated he was “not interested in resumes” and encouraged Mosteanu to continue in his role.Though, following calls for a vote of confidence from within his own party, mosteanu announced his resignation to avoid jeopardizing the credibility of the Romanian army.
This is not the first instance of the USR party withdrawing support from one of its own members.Earlier this year, then-party chairman Elena Lasconi lost support when the party leadership, lead by Ionut Mosteanu, backed Nicosor Dan over an independent candidate in the presidential election.
As part of a coalition agreement, the USR is entitled to nominate an official to head the Ministry of Defense and fill the vacant position of Deputy Prime Minister.
