Inaccuracies in PM Ciolacu’s explanations of his studies / What additional information appeared in the PSD leader’s updated résumé

PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu has updated his résumé, with an updated version published on Thursday by Digi24.ro, after G4Media.ro revealed that he started a private university at 24, but only passed his exam 9 years later. Contacted last week, the prime minister-designate did not respond to G4Media.ro’s questions to clarify the status of his studies.

In the newly published CV by Digi24.ro there is a new piece of information related to his studies: he graduated in 1986 from the „Mihai Eminescu” High School of Philology and History in Buzău. In terms of university, although the Ecological University of Bucharest officially informed G4Media.ro that the current Prime Minister obtained his bachelor’s degree in 2004, the new CV shows the term „Licentiate” in 1995, when, in fact, Ciolacu only graduated without taking the exam.

A correction appears in the postgraduate studies of which G4Media.ro revealed yesterday that in the CV on the website of the Chamber of Deputies they were listed as started in 2003 (before taking the Bachelor’s graduation exam) and finished in 2004. In the new CV, Ciolacu wrote that the „period” in which he attended these studies is 2004.

For the period 1988-1990, it is mentioned that Marcel Ciolacu was employed at the Industrial Electronics Company in Bucharest. Also, in addition to the old CV, it appears that between 1992 and 1998, he was an entrepreneur, administrator and partner in several private companies.

After the government vote, Ciolacu was asked by journalists about his studies and said that before 1989 he failed the law school exam and then went to join the army. He added that after leaving the army, he worked as a labourer – during the period at the Industrial Electronic Enterprise – and after the Revolution he finally became a law student (in 1991) and went into private business, including an import-export trade with Israel.

He suggested that he did not take his undergraduate exam because he was focused on his business, and added that he eventually got a 9 on the exam and still has a copy of the paper.

Background

Marcel Ciolacu on Thursday explained the gaps in his CV related to his studies, after G4Media revealed that he obtained his degree nine years after graduating from a private, provisionally authorized university. Ciolacu said that „I took my decision, I did things at my own pace,” saying that after finishing college he went into business and completed his studies with a bachelor’s degree after „getting bored of doing business.”

He also said that the reason why he started university at 24 was that after finishing high school in communism he failed the first entrance exam for law school, which resulted in him being drafted into military service (during the communist period, military service was compulsory, lasting 2 years for men without university – ed.).

„After finishing high school I applied to law school and didn’t get in. At that time it was compulsory for me to go to the army. Then came the Revolution (of December 1989 – ed.), I got married, then I went to university. In the meantime my brothers got married, nephews came along and I went into the private area. I worked as an employee in a Romanian-Israeli import-export company, I also worked as a labourer, then I started my own company.

After we bought out all the competition, after 7 years, the baby came along and we got a two room apartment on Viitorului Street and enclosed our balcony, I decided that I was bored of doing business. I finished my studies, entered local government, became interim prefect, lost the elections, became deputy mayor, ran the biggest municipal company. That’s the big secret, the big hidden things. I take the decisions myself. I got a grade 9 in my bachelor’s degree graduation exam (…) In my doctorate I was expelled. It’s the only unfinished business in my life. I promise you that I will finish it when I leave politics”, Ciolacu said after the government he leads received the vote of investiture in Parliament.

Translated