Emil Boc
Prime Minister of Romania
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 December 2008
President: Traian Băsescu
Deputy: Vasile Blaga (Acting)
Preceded by: Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Minister of Education, Research and Innovation
Acting
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 October 2009
Preceded by: Ecaterina Andronescu
Mayor of Cluj-Napoca
In office 12 July 2004 – 4 January 2009
Preceded by: Gheorghe Funar
Succeeded by: Sorin Apostu
Born: 6 September 1966 (age 43)
Rachitele, Romania (now Margau)
Political
Party: Democratic Liberal Party
Spouse(s): Oana Boc
Religion: Romanian Orthodoxy
Emil Boc (Romanian pronunciation: [eˈmil ˈbok]; born September 6, 1966) is a Romanian politician. He is the acting Prime Minister of Romania, having served since December 2008. In June 2004, he was elected Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, the largest city in Transylvania. Boc is also the president of the Democratic Liberal Party, who designated him as Prime Minister in 2008. On October 13, 2009, his cabinet fell after losing a motion of no confidence in Parliament. He is now acting as the head of an interim cabinet until a new Prime Minister and cabinet is confirmed by Parliament.
Personal life
Emil was born to Ioan and Ana Boc in the village of Răchiţele, commune Mărgău, Cluj County; he has three older brothers (Ioan, Gheorghe, and Traian) and one sister (Dorina). Emil Boc and his wife Oana, a university lecturer whom he married in July 1994, have two daughters, Cezara and Patricia. He and his family belong to the Romanian Orthodox Church.[1]
Political career
Boc’s entrance into mainstream Romanian politics was in 2003, when he was elected executive president of the Democratic Party; he had been proposed by Traian Băsescu. His original job was to define clearly the Democratic Party’s identity so that it would not be confused with the National Liberal Party.[2]
Mayor of Cluj-Napoca
He assumed the position of mayor after the 2004 election victory against the far right nationalist Gheorghe Funar, who had been mayor of Cluj-Napoca for twelve years. In that election, Funar lost out in the first round to both Boc and the Social Democratic Party candidate Ioan Rus. Boc went on to defeat Rus in a run-off election. In the 2008 election, Boc received 76.2% of the vote, avoiding a second round.[3]
Prime Minister of Romania
Following the 2008 legislative elections, the Democratic Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party joined forces to form a government. President Traian Băsescu initially nominated Theodor Stolojan as Prime Minister, but, following Stolojan’s withdrawal, on December 15 Boc was nominated as head of government and was confirmed by Parliament on December 22, 2008.
Boc’s government fell after a vote of no confidence in the Parliament on October 13, 2009.[4] The vote followed the collapse of his ruling coalition, which was caused by his ousting of Dan Nica, the interior minister.[5] Boc is now interim Prime Minister until a new government takes charge. The opposition parliamentary groups proposed Klaus Iohannis as a candidate, but President Traian Băsescu nominated Lucian Croitoru, and after his failing to obtain the Parliament confirmation for his government, he nominated Lucian Negoiţă. Boc remains Romania’s acting Prime Minister until a confirmation from the Parliament is obtained for the new government.
Notes
1. ^ (Romanian) Clarification, gov.ro, 5 January 2009; accessed 26 May 2009
2. ^ (Romanian) Mircea Marian, “Basescu il impinge pe Boc in functia de presedinte executiv al PD”, Adevărul, October 8, 2003
3. ^ (Romanian) “Rezultatele alegerilor locale din principalele oraşe ale ţării”, realitatea.net, 6 June 2008
4. ^ BBC News, 2009-10-13. Romanian government falls on vote. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
5. ^ BBC News, 2009-10-01. Romanian government falls apart. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
